Wednesday, November 4, 2009

What Now?

Semi-Final Election Results for Measure J
YES 2142 votes 65.23%
NO 1,142 votes 34.77%
In yesterday's election, the residents of Pacific Grove came out in solid support for the Library. But according to the Semi-Final Election Results, posted on the Monterey County Election website, 65.23% voted in favor of the parcel tax and 34.77% voted against the tax. 66.7%, a two-thirds majority, is required to win.

Does that mean Measure J lost? Not necessarily.

At this point, the key factor is how many votes are left to be counted, e.g., remaining absentee ballots and provisional ballots. (A provisional ballot is a paper ballot used by a voter when there is some problem in establishing a voters eligibility. The ballot will be counted only if election officials determine that the person was in fact entitled to vote.)

According to Measure J volunteers who were calling registered voters over the weekend, there is still hope. Among absentee voters, there was strong support for Measure J.

We have not heard when the final results will be posted. But as Yogi Berra said, "It's not over until it's over."

1 comment:

Laura Courtney Headley said...

I agree . . . there is definitely hope. I have learned that while only 3,284 votes have been counted, over 3,600 were submitted, so there are many votes left to count--enough to make the difference. In the meantime, it is wonderful to know that the library enjoys a clear majority of support (even if the full 2/3 isn't clear yet). The campaign has given the community a chance to come to the aid of the library and so many have. It has been very encouraging. Let's hope for good news in the coming days!