The United Wisconsin coalition, a grass roots organization targeting the recall of Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker, announced Monday that it has received over 300,000 signatures in their efforts to force a recall election. The recall effort began November 15th and collected more than half the required 540,208 signatures needed to force the election in 2012.
The recall effort was spurred by Walker’s passage of a law earlier this year that greatly reduced the collective bargaining rights for public workers in Wisconsin.
“We are excited to announce that in the first 12 days, volunteers across the state have collected over 300,000 signatures to Recall Scott Walker,” the United Wisconsin coalition said in a statement posted to its’ website Monday.
“Over 300,000 signatures in 12 days-that is over 1,040 per hour!,” the grass roots group added.
Since the start of the recall effort, Governor Scott Walker has released two ads downplaying the effort, trying to bolster the support of Wisconsin Republican voters.
“It feels a little like sour grapes. It’s you know, ‘we didn’t get our way and so we want to change the outcome,” Kristi, a Wisconsin high school teacher is shown saying in the Walker advertisement released last week.
Volunteers for the recall efforts have reported death threats from Walker supporters in recent weeks.
“They said, ‘If you don’t stop circulating recall petitions, we will kill you,’” Tom Peer, a recall volunteer said in a statement to WISC News.
If enough signatures are collected to force the recall by the January 17th deadline, the Walker recall election could be held as early as March 27th.
