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States with mail-in ballots have the excruciating pleasure of having to wait days or even weeks to learn the result of tight races. Washington is one such state. So here’s the latest but not the last word on Referendum 71. Reminder: we want to see R-71 approved because this means that the domestic partnership law will be preserved. As of 6 pm on Nov. 4th, the Secretary of State reports:
Approved: 579,502 (51.65%)
Rejected: 542,582 (48.35%)
Looking good! However, there are still about 400,000 ballots on hand yet to be counted, so if you’re cautious you’ll want to wait a bit before celebrating victory. Bill sponsor Sen. Ed Murray and is already calling it a win since about 56% of the projected total number of ballots cast have already been counted. Captain Reject (Larry Stickney) hasn’t conceded yet, but must be feeling as desperate as Sen. Murray is confident because he asked people this afternoon to do this:
As you may know, we have seen amazing things happen at every critical juncture of this campaign. Please join me today in getting down on our knees to lift up this effort to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.Let’s pray the REJECT R-71 effort across the finish line! Every family and church in Washington now and for years to come will benefit from our efforts if we win! Pray that we are in the lead by the end of today’s counting!
Now, for God to influence the election after ballots have been cast, wouldn’t that require God to change people’s votes? So Stickney wants God to tamper with ballots. Apparently God isn’t into felonious activities, since He did not deliver unto Stickney such ill-gotten gains in the 6 pm count.
15 Comments
Thanks..and good luck…and GOOD WORK.
I have a bad feeling about this.This being a small election, I didn’t know if I was going to vote until I saw 71. I immediately got my ballot in the mail.
In the week leading up to the election, I received a daily robocall warning me that 71 would (horror of horrors) grant a status “equal to marriage.” Proponents definitely were not as active. I’m surprised it’s doing as well as it is, given the disparity in campaigning levels.
It’s still too close for me to feel confident that this is going to pass. I’d hate for the fearmongers to win yet again.
Actually proponents were quite active.They carefully targeted their calls, ad locations etc. So, don’t let your not hearing from them lead you to think that others also didn’t. Our side ran a smart campaign. If we lose it’ll be like Maine – you can’t force a win in a place with an anti-gay majority even if you run the perfect campaign.
East WAApprove R71 was pretty much non existence in Eastern WA.
But I guess it doesn’t matter as King Co usually decides state elections.
So when should we know the final results?60% reported and a 4 points lead… not bad.
“every family and church in Washington”Not MY church!
Nor over 200 other churches, temples, and synagogues in Washington!
It makes me ferocious when christian extremists (who are everything Jesus was fighting AGAINST)claim to speak for all churches.
This kind of cr@p galvanized me to action a few months ago, and I got my entire church involved to Approve Ref 71. We had educational programs, we gave out signs, we wrote articles in the church newsletter, we had Ref 71 as the topic of a sermon, we signed on to the WAFST site and encouraged other churches to sign on also, we phone banked.
THIS is the Lord’s work! All-inclusive love that is not afraid to stand up! http://www.standingonthesideof…
I’m so glad you stood up to be heard.The lie that the radical right speaks for all people of faith will evaporate if more people of faith like you stand up and say otherwise. It does my heart so much good to see this happening.
When no more ballots are left to be counted.I know that sounds glib, but nobody knows how many people mailed in their ballots, so nobody knows how many more we’re waiting on. When ballots stop arriving in meaningful numbers at the county auditors’ offices, then we’ll know the count is essentially over. The Secretary of State estinated that 51% of voters would cast ballots. That translates into about 1,836,000 estimated ballots cast. So far about 1.5 million have either been counted or received, so we’re probably pretty close.
I think the campaignfocused its energies on population-dense areas where our base is to be found. It’s simply a matter of resources allocation. So true if you live in a more rural area or in a conservative city, you may not have been very aware of the campaign.
Current Numbers 9pm 11-4-2009Still leading.
Approve 593,956 51.65 %
Rejecgt 556,090 48.35 %
If you are following the WA Referendum 71, here are some useful links that I haven’t see listed recently.
Listing By County
Voter Turnout and Total Ballots Counted
Washington Secretary of State Website
Shannon
P.S. Thank you to Sundried! My church likewise signed up as both a church as well as individuals, voted as a congregation to approve Ref 71, and worked to get out the vote on the issue.
And that applies to inclusive communities of fath especially!
Nail BiterNot going to rest until every last vote is counted.
Hang in there, Lurleen!
Not being a terribly patient person, I cannot imagine this waiting process… all my fingers and toes are crossed for ya.
For sureThat’s my policy too. I have the count up in my browser and will until the vote is certified. No good to be overly confident–it’s way too close to count one’s chickens before they hatch.
It’s a mathematical certainty we will win Ref 71See my post here, or I will put up a diary as well.
The Approve folks would have to
1) Reduce the King county approval rate from its current rate of 66% from a sample of 75% of all ballots cast
2) Sustain a REJECT RATE of 65% in all non-King County ballots (which includes Snohomoish County which is approving 71 at 51%)
It’s all over but the wailing and gnashing of teeth. REFERENDUM 71 has been approved.
Well, it’s highly probable that R-71 will be approved, butthe only way it can be a certainty is for the remaining ballots to be counted. Unless you have a crystal ball, that is. ;D