BREAKING NEWS: Final election results
released
By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal
Article Last Updated: 06/20/2008 11:44:28 AM
PDT
At 9:38 a.m. Friday, the Mendocino County Assessor/Clerk/Recorders Office
released it's final offical results for the June 3 election---and nothing has
changed from the initial reports.
The hotly-contested Measure B, which repeals Measure G, the county's
personal use marijuana law, and sets medical marijuana possession limits in
Mendocino County at the state limits of six mature or 12 immature plants and
eight ounces of dried marijuana, has passed with 14,577 "yes" ballots (52.16
percent) to 13,369 "no" votes (47.84 percent.)
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting at 12:35 a.m. June 4, Measure
B was winning 52.15 percent to 47.85 percent, meaning the measure has actually
gained a hundreth of a percentage point since initial results.
Doubt was soon cast on the initial results as the Mendocino County
Assessor/Clerk/Recorders Office announced that same afternoon that 10,835
absentee ballots and 439 provisional ballots that had not yet been counted and
were not part of the unofficial election results released on election
night.
At the time, Sue Ranochak, Mendocino County Assessor/Clerk/Recorder, said
it is not uncommon to have this many uncounted ballots once the election is
over. During the February primary election, close to 9,000 absentee ballots
remained uncounted after election night, she said.
Those ballots did not change the outcome of any of the races
either.
The three races for the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors remained
similarly unchanged. In the 1st District, Carre Brown will take on incumbant
Michael Delbar in the runoff November election with 2,007 votes (36.94 percent)
to 1,935 votes (35.62 percent), respectively. In the 2nd District, John McCowen
will take on Estelle Palley Clifton later this year with 1,376 votes (33.14
percent) to 1,056 (25.43 percent), respectively. In the 4th District, Kendall
Smith held on to her comfortable lead over challenger Paula Deeter to win
reelection with 3,435 votes (62.84 percent) to 1,998 votes (36.55 percent),
respectively.
Despite the passage of Measure B, opponents have previously said the
fight is far from over.
A
recent decision by an appellate court found the state medical marijuana limits
set forth in Senate Bill 420 unconstitutional, which some argue could pull the
rug out from under Measure B. The case in question, People v. Kelly, involves a
patient who was convicted of possessing seven plants and 12 ounces of processed
marijuana. In its May 22 decision, the Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate
District reversed that ruling 3-0 and ordered a retrial for Patrick Kelly, who
had a doctor's recommendation for his ailments including Hepatitis
C.
Originally passed in 2003, SB 420 was an amendment of Proposition 215
which set state guidelines regarding how much marijuana patients may grow and
possess without being subject to arrest. Under the law, medical marijuana
patients were allowed six mature or 12 immature plants and up to one-half pound
of dried, processed marijuana.
Also known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, Proposition 215 was
passed on the Nov. 5, 1996 ballot with 55 percent in favor and 44 percent
against.
The No on Measure B Campaign issued a statement on the ruling, stating
that the ruling effectively strikes down the basis for Measure B.
In
turn, the Yes on B Coalition issued its own statement, which called the claims
of the opposing camp "absurd." |
