State election officials say outside reviews of recall petitions should not be used to disqualify signatures.
As the Government Accountability Board continues the process of reviewing recall petitions against the governor, lieutenant governor, and four Republican state senators, independent reviews of the over the 1.9 million signatures are also underway. However, GAB director Kevin Kennedy is recommending the agency not consider those results when deciding whether to strike invalid or fake signatures.
At least one Tea Party group and the state Republican Party are working on petition databases. In a memo to board members ahead of a meeting this morning, Kennedy says challenges raised by those outside groups should not be used, because there’s no process in place to accept that information. He says only problems identified by GAB and the campaigns should be considered.