Maine Marijuana Legalization Recount Update: No Significant Change; 'Colossal' Waste of Time & Money, Supporters Say
AUGUSTA, ME As the recount on Maines Question 1 enters its seventh day with no significant changes to the election results, supporters of the voter-approved measure are once again calling on opponents to drop the recount, calling it a waste of taxpayers money.
So far, the recount has not uncovered anyevidence of election fraud, or any indication that continuing to recount will make any meaningful difference in the election total.
As of Tuesday morning,over 150,000 ballots, representing approximately 20% of the total votes cast,have been counted, and there is no statistically significant change in the election result, according to supporters working on the recount.The Secretary of States Office will not release actual vote totals until the recount is over.
In an email to supporters Tuesday, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the key driving force behind the successful measure, calledthe recount a colossal waste of time and money time.
Every day that No on 1 extends their recount, they are deliberately choosing to create a colossal waste of taxpayers money, and of state employees time, said David Boyer, campaign manager for the Yes on 1 campaign. No on 1 is forcing our campaign to spend money on a recount, rather than on working toward implementation of Question 1.
Recounts in Maine are conducted by hand, with 3-member recount teams made up of one volunteer from each side and a state employee. The No on 1 campaign, who pushed for the recount, have been criticized for not providing enough volunteers each day of the recount.
Our opponents stubbornly refuse to stop this wasteful recount andconcede defeat. They are further slowing down the process by refusing to show up on time with a full roster of counters, Boyer said.
Maine was one of four states where voters approved measures to legalize the adult, recreational use of marijuana on election day. Prohibitionist opponents of Qustion 1requested the recount after unofficial results showed the question passed by only 4,073 votes(381,692 to 377,619) a margin of less than 1 percent.
Maine has never had a statewide recount of a ballot initiative that included every ballot, as those requesting the recounts have withdrawn their requests prior to the recounts being ...
