There are enough signatures to force a recall of our Governor here in Wisconsin: that much is certain. Regardless of the precise number, this Tuesday, January 17th, they will be handed in to the Government Accountability Board.
The minimum required validated number (540,208) is the Constitutionally-mandated 25% of the number of votes cast at the last gubernatorial election, gathered over the course of 60 days. Here are some numbers for context from history, those announced along the way and also from the United States Census Bureau:
50,000 - Announced for the first 2 days
105,000 - Announced for the first 4 days
260,000 - Signatures delivered for California Governor Gray Davis' 2003 recall, adjusted to Wisconsin's population
301,214 - Announced for the first 12 days
507,533 - Announced for the first 30 days
540,208 - Minimum required
640,000 - Signatures delivered for North Dakota Governor Lynn Frazier's 1921 recall, adjusted to Wisconsin's population.
640,000 - Signatures Ohio delivered to put the repeal of SB5 on the ballot, adjusted to Wisconsin's population.
680,000 - Signatures delivered for Arizona Governor Evan Mecham's 1988 recall, adjusted to Wisconsin's population (n.b. he was impeached before the recall election could take place).
700,000 - Original target.
720,277 - New target (1/3 of the number of votes cast at the last gubernatorial election)
1,000,000 - A big round number.
1,004,303 - Votes Tom Barrett received in November 2010
1,080,416 - 50% of number of votes cast last gubernatorial election. What the minimum requirement would be under Robin Vos' proposed constitutional amendment.
1,128,941 - Votes Scott Walker received in November 2010
1,262,393 - Votes McCain received in Wisconsin in 2008
1,298,301 - Signatures Ohio delivered to put the repeal of SB5 on the ballot
1,677,211 - Votes Obama received in Wisconsin in 2008
3,218,553 - 2010 Wisconsin adult population who didn't vote for Walker in November 2010
4,347,493 - 2010 Wisconsin adult population who aren't Scott Walker