# How Many Times Can They Try To Recall A Governor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274 "2012-06-06T15:27:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274/1 "2012-06-06T15:27:13Z")
With the Wisconsin recall election, it got me to wondering. This time the effort to recall him failed. Could the opposition just do this again? Could they keep doing it? It seems like a great way to disrupt government if it is allowed. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274/2 "2012-06-06T15:42:32Z")
> [@AndyLee](#): > > With the Wisconsin recall election, it got me to wondering. This time the effort to recall him failed. Could the opposition just do this again? Could they keep doing it? It seems like a great way to disrupt government if it is allowed. I expect it might happen again in WI. There were some highly suspect employment statistics released by the state the week before the election. They will probably be “corrected” now that the election is over. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274/3 "2012-06-06T16:02:06Z")
Elected officials in Wisconsin are subject to only one recall per term. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274/4 "2012-06-06T16:28:57Z")
> [@fumster](#): > > I expect it might happen again in WI. There were some highly suspect employment statistics released by the state the week before the election. They will probably be “corrected” now that the election is over. This is GQ. Did you do any research at all into your attempt to supply a factual answer? I can’t believe you did, because your “expectation” is not legally possible. Wis. Statutes 9.10(6) provides: > [@](#): > > Limitation on recall elections. After one recall petition and recall election, no further recall petition may be filed against the same official during the term for which he or she was elected. I don’t know about the “highly suspect” employment numbers you mention, but I “highly suspect” you chose to answer this question without knowing the law in Wisconsin. ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274/5 "2012-06-07T04:19:54Z")
Even if there weren’t a limit, it couldn’t happen too often. There are a series of steps that have to be taken, and they generally have time frames attached. 60 days to collect signatures. 30 days to certify. 5-30 days for various appeals etc, which if I counted them properly could add another 90 days or so more total. While it is possible to have these happen in shorter time-frames, it is likely that most will run to or near their limits. So now we have a 6 month process. Once all the hoops have been jumped the election takes place 6 weeks later. So over 7 months per recall attempt. So given that an official has to have been in office for at least at year, you couldn’t have more than four recalls in a four year term anyway. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274/6 "2012-06-07T13:40:45Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > This is GQ. > > Did you do any research at all into your attempt to supply a factual answer? > > I can’t believe you did, because your “expectation” is not legally possible. > > Wis. Statutes 9.10(6) provides: > > I don’t know about the “highly suspect” employment numbers you mention, but I “highly suspect” you chose to answer this question without knowing the law in Wisconsin. Lighten up **Mr B**!! Let them have their hope and change for a little while longer anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274/7 "2012-06-07T23:17:24Z")
> [@Bartman](#): > > 60 days to collect signatures. 30 days to certify. 5-30 days for various appeals etc, which if I counted them properly could add another 90 days or so more total. Unless (as in WI) there’s a limit to how many times this can happen, it’s clear that recall proponents need to get sophisticated: Instead of a single recall petition, have everyone sign a whole mess of petitions that call for one recall election per week. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274/8 "2012-06-08T16:58:56Z")
The first time somebody tries that stunt, the laws of every state in the union will be ammended to say “one recall per term.” ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-can-they-try-to-recall-a-governor/624274/9 "2012-06-08T17:05:04Z")
Let’s do it again! One more time!