Recall of Wisconsin Gov. Walker certified

MADISON, Wis., March 30 (UPI) -- The recall election of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch can be scheduled, election officials said Friday.

The state's Government Accountability Board, which oversees election matters, found recall petitioners collected 900,939 valid signatures in its recall effort against Walker and 808,990 in the recall petition for Kleefisch, the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison reported.

The minimum number of valid signatures needed to force a recall was 540,208 signatures for each.

The board already found enough valid signatures were collected on petitions to recall four state Republican senators -- Scott Fitzgerald, Van Wanggaard, Terry Moulton and Pam Galloway, who had resigned, citing a family illness.

The senators' recall elections would be May 8 if a primary is necessary and June 5, which the Journal said would be the dates for recall votes for Walker and Kleefisch as well.

The recall effort against Walker began soon after he pushed through the Republican Legislature a law last year that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most state workers.