Posted Friday, February 3, 2012 --- 3:25 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The Wisconsin Court of Appeals has vacated an order that would require state election officials to be more aggressive in ferreting out fake or duplicate signatures on recall petitions.

The decision released Friday reverses a Waukesha County judge's decision and hands a victory to Democrats who wanted to intervene in a lawsuit related to recall signatures.

Gov. Scott Walker's campaign had sued the state Government Accountability Board, saying the GAB wasn't planning to be aggressive enough in tossing fraudulent signatures. Democratic recall committees wanted to intervene in the suit but were denied.

The appeals court says the recall committees should have been allowed to participate.

The ruling sends the case back to Judge Mac Davis, who will have to issue a new order on how the GAB must handle signatures.

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.