A three-judge appellate panel ruled today (march 16, 2010)  that the New Jersey secretary of state must accept the tea partiers’ notice of intent to recall Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and allow their joint recall committee to begin collecting the voter signatures needed to put the senator’s name back on the ballot, two years before his term is supposed to end.

This opens the door and moves the question of whether Senators can be recalled.

While they still face an uphill battle in the collection process, it may help to settle the unknown aspect of this procedure.

Stay tuned.