In a recent development, the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission has voted against a recall election of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, citing insufficient valid signatures. The decision, supported by three Republican commissioners and one Democratic commissioner, means that Vos will not have to face a recall election unless challenged in court.

Vos had been targeted for recall by fellow Republicans and supporters of former President Donald Trump after he refused to decertify President Joe Biden's narrow victory in the state. Despite enduring two partial recounts, lawsuits, an independent audit, and a review by a conservative law firm, Biden's win of approximately 21,000 votes has remained intact.

However, Vos further angered Trump supporters when he did not endorse a plan to impeach Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin's top elections official. In an attempt to force a recall election, petition circulators submitted more than the required number of valid signatures. While the Elections Commission staff initially confirmed the validity of these signatures, the commission decided to discard an additional 188 signatures because they were collected beyond the 60-day petition circulation window.

Recall organizers argued that the signatures should be counted, considering the extension granted for the submission deadline due to the Memorial Day holiday. However, commission members who supported rejecting the signatures explained that although the deadline for filing the petition was adjustable, the 60-day deadline for gathering signatures remained fixed.

The decision made by the Wisconsin Elections Commission can now be appealed to the circuit court. Meanwhile, the recall committee expressed their dissatisfaction by calling for the dismantling of the elections commission, accusing it of protecting those in power rather than upholding election laws.

Democratic Commissioner Mark Thomsen voiced his opposition to dismissing the recall effort purely due to a technicality, questioning the denial of the rights of over 6,000 individuals who wished to recall Vos. He argued that they had fulfilled the necessary requirements to deserve a vote.

Republican Commissioner Don Millis, appointed by Vos, asserted that the additional signatures collected on May 27 and May 28 should not be considered valid due to the time constraints. However, he acknowledged that the decision was a close call, given the overall number of signatures.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who has previously referred to those targeting him as "whack jobs and morons," did not attend the meeting. His attorney argued for the exclusion of the signatures collected past the 60-day deadline.

Submitted on May 28, Trump supporters, led by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, presented over 9,000 signatures, surpassing the requirement of 6,850 valid signatures for a recall election in Vos' district. However, with the commission's decision to reject the additional 188 signatures, the total count was reduced to 6,678.

Democratic Commissioner Carrie Riepl joined the three Republican members in voting against the recall effort, though the reason behind her decision was not disclosed during the meeting.