PROPOSITION 10: Fate Hangs On Absentee Ballots
Proposition 10 "is caught in the limbo of absentee ballot counting," the Los Angeles Times reports. The tobacco tax that would fund childhood programs yesterday "remained ahead by less than one percentage point" -- 50.3% to 49.7% -- with "nearly 800,000 ballots yet to be sifted through in counties around the state." Shirley Washington, spokesperson for the state Secretary of State's office, said, "The 'yes' side is still favored, but that could change any day." The Times reports that "ballots left to be tallied are primarily those of absentee voters, who historically have been more conservative and more likely to reject new taxes and new government programs." Washington said she did not know when the final count would be in because counties have 28 days after the election to complete the tallying (11/10).
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