Wisconsin: Everything you need to know heading into Tuesday’s state senate recall election | Primary Matters/The Oshkosh Northwestern

The story of how state Sens. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon; and Randy Hopper, R-Fond du Lac, are the subjects of a July primary and August recall election is as odd as the idea of two summer elections.

Just the same, voters will go to the polls Tuesday for a primary election to determine their opponents in an Aug. 9 recall election, a tale with a few plot twists along the way as well.

It began on Feb. 10 when Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature proposed to curtail the ability of some public employee unions to collectively bargain for wages and benefits and required employees to pay parts of their health insurance and pension contributions.

Wisconsin: An election that isn’t about the candidates, primary signals strange times | LaCrosse Tribune

James Smith thinks Wisconsin law makes it too easy to recall a sitting legislator. And he’s willing to spend taxpayer dollars to protest it.

Smith, a self-described libertarian Republican and former officer of the La Crosse County GOP, will be on the ballot Tuesday alongside Democratic state Rep. Jennifer Shilling in a bid to challenge Sen. Dan Kapanke. He is one of six fake Democrats across the state running as part of a GOP strategy to delay recalls until August.

County clerks estimate the partisan primary will cost taxpayers in the 32nd Senate district about $117,000, the same as the Aug. 9 recall election. Smith hopes his candidacy draws attention to Wisconsin’s laws.

Wisconsin: ACLU Targets Wisconsin Voter ID Law | 620 WTMJ

The ACLU of Wisconsin is using local food pantries as a means to gather data about the impacts of the recently passed voter ID bill. Outspokenly opposed to the voter ID bill in Wisconsin, the ACLU of Wisconsin called the measure the “the worst and most restrictive we’ve seen,” explaining that the bill would “deny potentially thousands of voters the right to freely cast a ballot based on the non-existent problem of so-called voter fraud.” When the bill was signed into law on May 26, the ACLU went right to work to prepare a lawsuit like the one they filed recently in Ohio.

Their first step was to gather data. And what better place to find all those “disenfranchised voters” than at a food pantry.

Wisconsin: Need a free photo ID to vote? Be prepared to wait | madison.com

JoAnne Balthazor can't remember ever not voting in an election — it's that serious of a civic duty to her. That's why Balthazor, 69, a retired postal clerk from Madison, was getting a state-issued photo identification card Friday at the Division of Motor Vehicles Center on the city's Far East Side.

A new state law requires residents to show photo identification to vote. Balthazor does not have a driver's license — a physical disability prevents her from driving — and so needed to find another way to prove her identity.

The law includes a clause that allows residents to get a state photo ID card for free if they need it to vote. The cost is $28 otherwise. Friday was the first day the cards were available for free. Balthazor, who waited an hour and 51 minutes to get to a window, was not pleased with the process or the law.

"This is what people are going to have to go through," she said. "I think a lot of people are just going to say the heck with it and leave."

Wisconsin: $750,000 to be spent on voter ID education in Wisconsin | GazetteXtra

The state board in charge of running elections says it plans to spend more than $750,000 educating the public about the new photo identification law that fully takes effect next year.

The Government Accountability Board was given nearly $2 million by the Legislature to help pay for implementation of the new law.

The board says it will use about $436,000 on a public information campaign to inform the public about the requirement that photo identification be shown at the polls.

Wisconsin: Costs add up as counties plan for recall elections | Pierce County Herald

With a state senate recall election, a recall primary and a Supreme Court recount, local election clerks are seeing their 2011 budgets fall apart.

While it’s difficult to plan for these unprecedented elections, St. Croix and Pierce county clerks figure the unbudgeted expenses will total about $25,000 for each county. Those projections don’t include the amounts each city, village and town will pay for poll workers and their own miscellaneous expenses.

Wisconsin: Rep. Nygren knocked off ballot in Hansen recall election | JSOnline

State elections officials Monday took a Republican Assembly lawmaker off the ballot in a recall election against a Democratic senator.

The state Government Accountability Board voted unanimously to leave Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) off the ballot in the July 19 recall election for Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) in the 30th Senate District. The board found that Nygren fell just short of collecting the 400 valid nominating signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, finding he collected only 398 valid signatures.

Wisconsin: Elections Officials Prepare For Work, Costs Of Wisconsin Recalls | WISC Madison

This summer's planned recall elections for state senators will likely cost counties and municipalities thousands of dollars. The unprecedented elections, prompted by the collective bargaining legislation and accompanying protests, are putting local clerks to work in their off-season and leading to unexpected costs. Many workers are now scrambling on a short timetable to get things ready for the elections.

Columbia County Clerk Sue Moll was testing recall primary ballots for the 14th state Senate district on Friday as part of preparations for the recall election. She said that the summer is typically a time of planned vacations and a catch-up season for elections workers.

"It's time here, normally, I would have a staff person doing this. She's not available. Her last day was Monday so we normally have three staff. We're down to two," she said.

Wisconsin: What if they held an election and the results didn’t count? | Wisconsin Reporter

Wisconsin's political parties may be trying every trick possible, from spoiler candidates to lawsuits, to manipulate the recall elections scheduled this summer. But the people on the ground, who have little opportunity to affect the process, will be facing the consequences.

For the officials running the elections, it's a nasty and expensive headache that comes at the height of summer when employees typically take vacation, and voters' attention is anywhere but on elections.

“For this time of year, it’s very hectic,” Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg said. Still, candidates and campaign managers say they are proceeding as if no uncertainty exists — and believe voters will, too.

Wisconsin: In work on recalls, elections chief Kevin Kennedy battles charges of partisanship | The Capital Times

Wisconsin’s non-partisan Government Accountability Board has seen its profile rise in the past several months with the pending recall elections, a statewide Supreme Court recount, redistricting and the implementation of a recently passed photo ID bill all falling under its purview.

Created through the merger of the state’s Elections and Ethics boards three years ago, the board is tasked with enforcing state elections, ethics and campaign finance laws. Lately staff members have had to navigate their duties in what director and general counsel Kevin Kennedy calls “politically charged times.”

Wisconsin: Some Recall Voters Might Get Turned Away | WUWM

In three weeks, some Milwaukee voters will cast ballots in a recall of state Sen. Alberta Darling of River Hills. Darling, five other Republicans and three Democratic Senators face recalls…either for their support or opposition to Gov. Walker’s collective bargaining bill. As WUWM’s Marti Mikkelson reports, a few people who go to the polls could find themselves unable to vote because of a new state law.

One provision in the new Voter ID law the Legislature and governor approved in May, requires voters to have lived in their ward for 28 days. That means anyone who moved into their voting wards after June 14 is out of luck. However, Milwaukee Election Commissioner Sue Edman does not expect there to be much outrage at the polling places on July 12.

Wisconsin: County, city clerks prep for recalls | Fox11 WLUK-TV

County and city clerks are busy preparing for some unprecedented recall elections. Nine State Senators will fight for their seats over the next two months.

That includes three Democrats, Dave Hansen of Green Bay, Jim Holperin of Conover and Robert Wirch of Pleasant Prairie. There are also six Republicans, including Robert Cowles from Allouez, Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac and Luther Olsen of Ripon.

The unusual round of elections has county and city clerks on their toes. They're working on ballots for a July 12th primary. "They're at the printers now and they're being prepared for printing," Outagamie County Clerk Lori O'Bright explained. Only this primary is a bit different.

Wisconsin: Democrats Withdraw ‘Placeholder’ Candidates in Recall Election – Whitefish Bay, WI Patch

Democratic “placeholder” candidates will no longer run in this summer’s state Senate recall elections, the Wisconsin Democratic Party announced Friday.

The party said it will not file the final paperwork needed to be put placeholders on ballot in the six recall elections targeting Republican senators, including state Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills).

The idea of using placeholder candidates came after Republicans decided to have "fake Democrats" to run in the Democratic primaries of the six recall elections targeting GOP senators. The move was designed to ensure that primary elections would be held in all six races to give the incumbents more time to prepare for the general election.

Wisconsin: Recall in 10th Senate District will push election budgets into red | WQOW TV

Protests that happened months ago sparked recall efforts, which have some counties going back over their books.

Special elections can be costly and now we could have two in the 10th Senate District.  Republican Senator Sheila Harsdorf holds that seat and since another republican decided to run as a democrat out of protest, we could see a primary before the recall election itself.

No clerk could have guessed how 2011 was going to shape up when it comes to politics. "This year was scheduled to be a two election cycle, so I budgeted about $30,700," says Carole Wondra, Polk County Clerk.

Wisconsin: Voter ID Law In Effect for Recall Election — Sort Of | Fox Point-Bayside, WI Patch

Poll workers will be required to ask voters for photo identification during this summer's state Senate recall elections — but poll workers can't stop residents from casting their ballots, at least for now.

The Government Accountability Board, the state agency that oversees elections, issued a reminder this week regarding the recently enacted voter ID law. While the requirement that all voters produce a photo ID does not go into effect until the 2012 spring primary, the new law requires that voters be asked for the information beginning with the recall elections.

In 2012, voters who do not have identification on them when they show up at the polls will be given conditional ballots that will be counted only if they can produce identification later.

Wisconsin: Octogenarian Former GOP State Rep To Run As Fake ‘Democrat’ In Wisconsin Recalls | TPMDC

Don't let anyone say there isn't bipartisanship in Wisconsin.

The newest example of Wisconsin Republicans recruiting fake Democratic candidates, to force Dem primaries and make trouble in the state Senate recalls: Otto Junkermann, an 82-year old former Republican state representative, who will challenge official Democratic candidate Nancy Nusbaum for the recall against GOP state Sen. Rob Cowles.

As the Green Bay Press Gazette reports, Junkermann very openly professes to support Cowles:

Otto Junkermann, 82 of Allouez, said he thinks "very highly" of Cowles, a Republican also from Allouez, and will run against Nusbaum as a "conservative Democrat."

"I respect Rob a great deal. I've known him, I followed him into the Assembly and took the position he had when he went into the Senate, and I always admired him," Junkermann said.

Junkermann served in the Assembly as a Republican for one term from 1987-88. He was also a Brown County supervisor from 1982-87 and ran again in 2002, 2004 and 2008 but lost.

Wisconsin: Expense of fake Democrats in primaries will top $400,000 | JSOnline

A plan by Republicans to run fake Democratic candidates in this summer's recall elections would cost taxpayers upward of $428,000, according to election clerks. In one Senate district alone, the cost would top $100,000, interviews with county and municipal clerks show.

Even if Republicans back off their plans in some of the districts, taxpayers are all but guaranteed to have to pay the costs of the primary, because Democrats now plan to run multiple candidates in order to guarantee all the recall elections are held on the same day. Tuesday is the filing deadline.

Recall elections for six Republican senators are scheduled for July 12. But if there are multiple candidates from the same party in any of those elections, the July 12 election becomes a primary, with a general recall election to follow on Aug. 9.

Wisconsin: Who is the ‘Fake Democrat’ in Wisconsin 8th Senate District Recall Race? | Menomonee Falls, WI Patch

Gladys Huber, an 80-year-old Mequon woman who has filed papers to run as a Democrat in the 8th Senate District recall election made an odd comment when reached by a reporter.

"I really have no comment at all," she said. "I will refer you to the Republican Party of Wisconsin."

State party officials did not return calls about Huber's candidacy but they have been upfront about its intention to run Republicans as Democrats in an effort to give incumbent senators like the 8th District's Alberta Darling more time to raise money and campaign.

The state's Government Accountability Board said Friday that Huber has officially registered to run as a Democrat against state Rep. Sandy Pasch of Whitefish Bay. If both candidates meet the 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline to file nominating petitions, a primary election would be held July 12 and the winner of that race would take on Darling on Aug. 9.

Wisconsin: Democrats may join GOP in fielding ‘fake’ candidates in recalls | JSOnline

Wisconsin's unprecedented recall elections could soon get even more complicated. A coalition of union groups active in state Senate recalls now advocates that Democrats field fake Republican candidates to run in primary elections against GOP state senators - just as Republicans are fielding fake Democrats to run against those who challenging GOP incumbents.

Friday evening, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin issued a statement that neither endorsed nor ruled out the idea, saying the party will "review the options available."

The proposal from We Are Wisconsin, described in an email from Kelly Steele, communications director, was sent earlier Friday. The email argued that it was necessary to keep Republicans from hijacking the election process, and called on interested Democrats to contact the state Democratic Party and volunteer to run as Republicans in the districts of six GOP senators subject to recall elections.

Wisconsin: ‘Protest’ Democratic candidate surfaces in Darling recall election | JSOnline

A member of the Republican Party of Ozaukee County has surfaced as a possible Democratic candidate in the recall election targets Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills).

Gladys Huber, listed on the Ozaukee GOP's website as a member at large — presumably of the county party's executive committee — has filed a registration form to run as a Democrat against Rep. Sandy Pasch (D-Whitefish Bay).

The candidacy is part of the state GOP strategy — described by Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald — to run "protest" candidates against Democrats challenging six Republican senators in recall campaigns.

 

Wisconsin: Senators Holperin, Hansen and Wirch headed for Wisconsin recall election | Wausau Daily Herald

All three Democratic state senators targeted for recalls will have to stand for election this summer after the board that oversees elections declined on Wednesday to invalidate petitions circulated against them, even though it found evidence of fraud.

The Government Accountability Board voted to reject thousands of signatures it determined were either fraudulent or collected by circulators through misleading means, such as saying the petition was for something other than recalling the Democrats.

But even after those signatures were tossed, more than enough remained to force recall elections for Sens. Jim Holperin of Conover, Dave Hansen of Green Bay and Bob Wirch of Pleasant Prairie.

Wisconsin: Former county GOP leader to challenge Shilling as Democrat in Wisconsin recall election | LaCrosse Tribune

Republicans have found a spoiler candidate to challenge Rep. Jennifer Shilling in this summer's recall election, which would force a Democratic primary and extend the campaign by nearly a month.

James Smith, until recently a member of the La Crosse County GOP's executive committee, says he is running as a protest candidate.

Smith, a regular fixture at local labor protests this spring where he held signs touting his support for Gov. Scott Walker, said he resigned his party leadership position Monday before announcing his candidacy. He said he does not plan on campaigning aggressively but wants to protest the recall process.

Wisconsin: Nonpartisan Government Accountability Board faces partisan charges | JSOnline

Republicans are leveling charges of bias and partisanship against a state elections and ethics agency they helped set up just four years ago with the idea of making it completely nonpartisan.

And the pressure on the Government Accountability Board could get even more intense Wednesday, as the election and ethics board decides whether to schedule recall elections for three Democratic state senators, to go along with the six it's already set for Republicans.

Whichever way the six-member board's decision goes, it's likely to draw ire, and perhaps legal action, from whoever loses out.

Wisconsin: No recommendation made on three Wisconsin recall challenges | RealClearPolitics

Attorneys for the Wisconsin board that oversees elections are not recommending whether recall petitions targeting three Democratic state senators should be rejected or accepted, leaving that determination to the panel of retired judges that will consider the issue Wednesday.

A memo to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Board signed by its director, Kevin Kennedy, its lead attorney and other staff members released Tuesday addresses the complaints and discusses the evidence related to each one, but makes no recommendation on what to do.

Kennedy said the legal question over whether petitions targeting the three senators were fraudulent, and if so whether only parts or all of the petitions should be invalidated, was a legal determination that the board alone needed to make. The memo was designed to present them with the evidence and facts to help make their decision, Kennedy said.

Wisconsin: Supreme Court recount cost $520,000-plus, survey shows | madison.com

The recent recount in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between Justice David Prosser and challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg cost counties more than $500,000, an Associated Press survey found.

The AP queried election officials in all 72 counties, asking for their best cost estimates. Seventy counties reported spending a total of nearly $520,500. The actual cost was likely higher because two counties and the state didn't provide estimates.

Waukesha County appears to have spent the most. It estimated its cost at $129,000, with more than a third of that going to pay a retired judge who oversaw the recount after the embattled county clerk recused herself.

Wisconsin: Waukesha County’s cost for Supreme Court recount: $130,000 | JSOnline

Waukesha County's 21-day recount of the Supreme Court election results cost county taxpayers about $130,000, county officials reported Tuesday.

Waukesha County's recount took longer than any other county in the state, in part because of the approach taken by the judge hired to run the recount and because more campaign observers were on hand and raised more concerns about ballots raised.

… The largest share of the cost - $47,000 - was for retired circuit Judge Robert Mawdsley, who was hired as temporary chairman of the Board of Canvassers after County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus recused herself.

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Senators Fight Sweeping Recalls | Courthouse News Service

Three Republican state senators have challenged the recall petitions that voters filed against them. And it looks like recall elections of three Democratic senators, if they occur, will come separately, a week after the six Republican recall elections scheduled for July 12.

The three Republicans' complaints are based on a technicality: that the recall petitioners are not identified as members of the Committees to Recall.

State senators Randy Hopper (Fond du Lac), Luther Olsen (Ripon) and Dan Kapanke (La Crosse) sued the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board in separate but virtually identical complaints in Dane County Court.

Wisconsin: Government Accountability Board mum on Nickolaus election inquiry | JSOnline

Although the state Government Accountability Board promised to release a detailed report of its April investigation of Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus' election operation by late June, it's unclear now when or if the report will be coming.

Reid Magney, spokesman for the board, said that because a formal complaint was filed with the board by the JoAnne Kloppenburg campaign, accusing Nickolaus of election law violations, new confidentiality restrictions apply under state law.

While he could confirm that a complaint was filed - one already released publicly by the Kloppenburg campaign - Magney said he couldn't comment on whether there is an investigation, or when an investigation might be complete.

Editorials: Grant Petty: Real ‘wake-up call’ is for ballot security | Wisconsin State Journal

Despite the title of Wednesday's editorial — "It's a wake-up call, all right" — the editors appear to be asleep at the wheel.

Referring to the Kloppenburg versus Prosser election mess, they make the valid narrow point that judicial elections should be abolished, but they fail to acknowledge the far broader ramifications of a tainted election system that is now used in all Wisconsin elections — not just judicial ones.

In view of the fiascoes in Waukesha, Verona and elsewhere, mere failure to prove that election fraud and/or incompetence might have tipped a very close election will not be enough to restore voters' confidence in this and future outcomes.

Wisconsin: Review of Wisconsin Democrats’ recalls extended a week – No election delay for Republicans; board sets date at July 12 | JSOnline

A Dane County judge on Friday granted state officials a week to determine whether three Democratic senators should be recalled, but declined to delay elections for six Republican senators.

Later Friday, the Government Accountability Board certified recall elections for July 12 for the Republican senators. Any recall elections for the Democrats would be held a week later, on July 19.