Arizona Prop 203: Still Counting Votes For Medical Marijuana

[MedicalNeed]

It's not over yet for Arizona's Proposition 203 to legalize medical marijuana in the state. While the initiative is down by less than 1%, the results are not final.

The Marijuana Policy Project — which put the initiative on the ballot and provided major funding and support for the campaign — reports that there are up to 300,000 ballots to be counted.

From an email by MPP director Rob Kampia:

Based on the ballots tabulated by election officials last night, the initiative was trailing slightly, with 49.75% in favor, with 50.25% opposed ... a difference of less than 7,000 votes out of more than 1.3 million cast.

For the next few days, Arizona government officials will be counting an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 votes that were cast by people whose mail-in ballots arrived at polling stations or elections offices in the final hours of the campaign. They may also need to examine thousands of "provisional" ballots that were cast by people whose residency was in dispute at the polls on election day.

In sum, if our initiative receives 52% of the votes that have yet to be tabulated, our initiative passes.

We may know more about the fate of Prop 203 in the coming days and weeks; if it passes, Arizona patients will have safe access to medical marijuana, and as many as 120 dispensaries could spring up across the state. If you want to help Prop 203 with their battle for every last vote, head on over and make a donation.


NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source:firedoglake.com
Author: Michael Whitney
Contact: Just Say Now: Legalize marijuana
Copyright: 2010 firedoglake.com
Website:Arizona Prop 203: Still Counting Votes for Medical Marijuana | Just Say Now