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FACT BRIEF

Does an elected official in Wisconsin have to be in office for a year before a recall effort?

By Hope Karnopp
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YES

Elected officials in Wisconsin must hold their office for at least one year before a recall is initiated, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. 

In Wisconsin, recall petitions must gain signatures from qualified electors equal at least a 25% of the votes cast in the most recent governor's election within the official's jurisdiction.

Recalled officials must run a second time to stay in office. If they lose, the winning candidates replace them, according to the Wisconsin Legislative Council.

A recall effort against Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in 2020 failed to gain the necessary 670,000 signatures. The organizer, Misty Polewczynski, cited Evers' responses to COVID-19 and unrest in Kenosha. 

In 2012, former Republican Gov. Scott Walker became the first governor to win a recall election. Only three other U.S. governors have been recalled, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who retained his seat in 2021. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
State of Wisconsin Recall Elections
Wisconsin State Legislature Removal of Elected Officials: Recall, Impeachment, Expulsion, and Removal
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Effort to force a recall election of Gov. Tony Evers fails to gather enough signatures
Eagleton Center on the American Governor Recalling Governors: An Overview
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.