Yes on 92 campaign files suit to demand 4600 additional ballots be counted

Kari Chisholm

Well, the recount isn't going well. Multnomah County has completed its count, and added only 25 votes to the YES tally.

Statewide, 29 of 36 counties are done -- and the net shift is +1 for the YES side. With an 812-vote margin, the outcome isn't going to change.

Proponents, however, aren't done. They've filed a lawsuit asking that some 4600 ballots be counted, even though the signatures on the envelopes didn't match the ones on file. Their argument is compelling, though novel.

From the O's Michelle Brence:

Measure 92 supporters say elections officials should have informed voters that their signature must match the one on file for their ballot to be counted. They accuse the state of rejecting valid ballots that show no evidence of fraud.

"These votes are simply dumped. They're not believed to be fraudulent. It's a standard put in place out of fear, and it's a burden to voters," Paige Richardson, the measure's campaign manager, said according to The Associated Press.

Peter Wong at the Capital Press gets into the details of the complaint:

Christine Seals, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement that she has been using a stamp as her legal signature — and it was only after this election that officials said there was a problem.

“I take my right to vote very seriously, and I think it is very wrong that elections officials are disenfranchising me in this election because they’ve suddenly decided not to accept my stamp,” she said. “That is why I am joining this lawsuit. I cast a valid ballot, and it should be counted.”

Some said they were never told their ballot would not be counted, or that they tried to offer their signatures but were rejected.

This seems like a big gamble. But if it works, it's going to pay off big.

By Kari Chisholm Dec. 09, 2014