Winneconne clerk challenges recall petitions, says incomplete forms void signatures

Winneconne Community School District sign. Aug. 27, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online

WINNECONNE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Winneconne school board clerk Kari Flagg argues the petitions seeking to recall two board members are invalid because, she says, the recall committees’ registration forms were incomplete and the signature-gathering period never legally began.

Flagg’s attorney submitted a response with the Wisconsin Elections Commission Tuesday, after recall organizers filed a complaint about the rejection of their petitions last month.

Flagg argues the complaint should be dismissed because organizers filed it one day after the 10-day deadline. She also says she fulfilled her duty by reviewing the petitions, finding them insufficient and explaining why.

Her response says both recall committees’ July registration forms left required depository-account information blank. Because the forms were incomplete, Flagg argues, the 60-day circulation period never began and signatures gathered before registration cannot count. She also argues the original registration forms were not filed with her, and that the committees’ Oct. 7 revisions could not retroactively validate the signatures.

Organizers say they delivered the paperwork to the district office in keeping with past practice and argue that Flagg’s response raises questions about how Wisconsin election law applies and what filing officers must do. They have until Nov. 20 to submit a rebuttal.

The petitions seek recall elections for board President Kati Calewarts and Vice President Dean Ackmann. Organizers say they collected 2,332 signatures against Calewarts and 2,308 against Ackmann; 1,475 valid signatures are required for each recall. The effort comes amid disputes in the district over board communication and decisions surrounding students’ gender identity. The district’s top administrator abruptly retired in September after she was placed on administrative leave.