In a recent development, supporters of former President Donald Trump have submitted more than enough valid signatures to potentially trigger a recall election of Wisconsin's top elected Republican, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. A review conducted by the state elections commission indicates that petition circulators have surpassed the required number of signatures for recall, contingent upon the district in question.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday to vote on whether to proceed with a recall election aimed at Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. However, a crucial point of consideration lies in determining whether the signatures collected for the recall should pertain to the district in which Vos was elected to represent in the 2022 election or the district formed by new maps, effective from the 2024 election.

Based on the staff's assessment, if the recall is based on the old district maps, the petition circulators have successfully gathered the necessary number of signatures. However, if the new district boundaries are taken into account, the signatures fall short by over 3,000. The staff refrained from taking a stance on which maps should be utilized, thus leaving the decision to the bipartisan commission.

It is important to note that the commission's determination regarding the recall election can be subject to appeal in the circuit court. The decision to target Assembly Speaker Robin Vos for a recall stems from his refusal to decertify President Joe Biden's narrow victory in the state. Despite two partial recounts, multiple lawsuits, an independent audit, and a review by a conservative law firm, President Biden's victory by approximately 21,000 votes remained intact.

Furthermore, Vos received backlash from supporters of former President Trump for not supporting a plan to impeach Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin's top elections official. In response to the recall effort, Vos has labeled those targeting him as "whack jobs and morons" and expressed confidence in his case against the legitimacy of the petition signatures, which he intends to present to the commission on Thursday.

To seek clarification on the district boundaries, the elections commission sought guidance from the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Vos argues that the recall effort should be rejected as per the Supreme Court's order prohibiting the use of old district lines in future elections. Conversely, petition circulators contend that the state constitution allows for the recall of any incumbent, regardless of district boundaries.

With the elections staff abstaining from taking sides, the bipartisan commission will be responsible for making the final decision. If a recall election is ordered, it is anticipated to take place on August 6th. In the event that multiple candidates run, a primary would be held on the same date, followed by the recall election on September 3rd. It should be noted that Vos is also set to appear on the ballot for the regular fall primary election on August 13th, where he will be vying for another two-year term.

Even if a recall election were to take place and Vos were to lose, his removal from office would only be temporary until the end of the year. Vos would still have the opportunity to contest in the general election and potentially regain office in January. It is worth mentioning that the Legislature is not scheduled to reconvene until the start of next year.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump, including former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, submitted over 9,000 signatures on May 28th to trigger the recall election. To force a recall election in the district Vos was elected to serve, a minimum of 6,850 valid signatures were required. The commission's report reveals that 6,866 valid signatures were collected from that district. On the other hand, Vos's new district required 7,195 signatures for a recall, but only 3,807 were obtained.

Previously, the group had submitted more than 9,000 signatures in March, but the elections commission ruled that only 5,905 of them were valid.

The upcoming decision by the Wisconsin Elections Commission holds significant implications for the state's political landscape. The fate of the potential recall election of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos will be revealed in the coming days.