The voter initiative in Oregon to require special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms appears to be headed for a recount. The margin has narrowed to 1,056 votes, or 0.08 percentage points, as the final unofficial results are reported from 1.5 million ballots. Under Oregon law, a recount is automatically held if the margin is less than one-fifth of 1 percent. That would be roughly 3,000 votes in this case.
Today is the deadline for county clerks to report election results to Secretary of State Kate Brown, who must certify the results by Dec 4, the point at which a recount would begin, if needed. Recounts can take two weeks. A spokesman for Brown said certification could occur early in the week of Dec 1.
“Right now, it is looking like there’s going to be a recount,” said the spokesman on Friday. “By Monday, we should have a pretty good idea.” The latest tally was 753,239 against and 752,163 for Measure 92.
The Portland Oregonian said on Friday that at least 4,000 votes remained to be counted.
The Yes on 92 campaign said on its Web site that a recount will be held and asked for volunteers “to make sure every vote is counted.” The Oregonian quoted an activist as saying recounts usually don’t change the outcome of a race unless the vote difference is very small. The Yes on 92 campaign said “regardless of the final outcome of the mandatory recount, the labeling issue is not going away.”
A No on 92 spokesman said, “We are confident Measure 92 has been defeated,” said the Salem Statesman Journal. The last recount in Oregon was 2008, it said.