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FORT SCOTT, Kan. — Organizers seeking to recall Bourbon County Clerk Susan Walker turned in 296 pages containing 2,603 signatures Monday, exceeding the 2,374 required to place a recall election before voters.
Under K.S.A. 25-4325, a recall petition must be signed by registered county voters in a number equal to at least 40% of the total votes cast for all candidates for the office in the last general election.
In a statement to the Bourbon County Monitor, recall committee member Kevin Wagner said the committee exceeded the requirement by a large margin.
"The recall petition for the Bourbon County Clerk has officially been turned in!" Wagner said. "Thanks to the hard work of our canvassers and volunteers across the county, we exceeded the required signature count to ensure a solid safety buffer."
"The citizens of Bourbon County have made it clear: holding our highest election officer accountable isn't just an option — it's our right," he said. "Thank you to everyone who signed and supported this effort to ensure fair, accurate, and accountable leadership. Stay tuned for the next steps!"
Bourbon County Attorney James Crux's office will now oversee verification of the petition. His staff will review each signature to confirm it is legible, belongs to a registered Bourbon County voter and matches the physical signature on file.
Under K.S.A. 25-4318, Crux - rather than Walker, who would normally handle the task as the county's election officer - will certify the signatures to avoid a conflict of interest.
Crux told the Monitor that his office will need the assistance of Deputy Election Clerk Amber Page to access voter records and signatures in the state voting system, meaning early voting currently underway will delay the start of the verification process.
Crux said a member of his staff will be with Page at all times to ensure public confidence in the process, and that he will personally review any signatures flagged as uncertain.
The recall effort stems from errors in the November 2025 general election, in which USD 235 Board of Education candidates were omitted from ballots cast during the advance voting period. Bourbon County Republican Party precinct members issued a formal vote of no confidence in Walker on April 9, and Crux certified the recall petition April 27, opening a 90-day window for signature gathering.
Walker has fought the recall in court. She filed suit in May seeking to halt circulation of the petition, but dropped that effort after Wagner filed a motion under the Kansas Public Speech Protection Act. Her amended lawsuit, which names Crux as the sole defendant, asks the court to declare the petition invalid and to bar certification of its signatures or any resulting recall election.
Recall committee members Wagner, Lyle (Pete) Owenby and Kyle Parks, dismissed from the case by Judge Richard Fisher, have filed a motion seeking to rejoin it. Fisher is expected to rule on the motion during a hearing at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Bourbon County District Court.
