Supporters of Maine gay marriage law collect $2.7M; opponents report $1.1M as vote draws nearOctober 13th, 2009 Maine gay marriage campaigns report donationsAUGUSTA, Maine — Supporters of Maine's gay marriage law said Tuesday they've collected $2.7 million for their campaign against a ballot proposal to repeal it, more than double the amount the measure's supporters said they raised. The group, called NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality, also reported that it has spent $2.2 million on its campaign to preserve the law.
Federal judge shields signatures on petition backing gay partnership referendum in Wash.September 10th, 2009 Judge shields signatures in gay rights referendumOLYMPIA, Wash. — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the state of Washington to keep shielding the identities of people who signed petitions to force a vote on expanded benefits for gay couples.
Gay-rights group ends effort to block public vote in Washington on expanded gay benefitsSeptember 9th, 2009 Backers won't appeal public vote on gay benefitsOLYMPIA, Wash. — Supporters of Washington state's most recent expansion of domestic partnership rights say they're dropping efforts to block a public vote on the new law.
Wash. judge rejects effort to stop public vote on expanded gay partnership benefitsSeptember 8th, 2009 WA judge rejects challenge to vote on gay benefitsOLYMPIA, Wash. — A judge on Tuesday refused to block a proposed ballot initiative on expanded domestic partnership benefits for gay couples in Washington state.
Maine gay marriage law heads to November ballot after 100K voters sign petition for referendumSeptember 2nd, 2009 Fate of Maine gay marriage law in hands of votersAUGUSTA, Maine — The governor of Maine has signed a formal proclamation putting the state's gay marriage law up for a vote in November. Gov. John Baldacci signed the measure Wednesday after election officials verified that gay marriage foes had reached the threshold of petitions necessary to put the law on the ballot.
Referendum on Wash.'s gay domestic partnership law wins spot on Nov. ballotSeptember 1st, 2009 Gay partnership referendum makes ballotOLYMPIA, Wash. — A referendum on an expansion of Washington's domestic partnership law for gay couples has qualified for the November ballot, election officials said Monday.
Group that opposes gay marriage focuses on Iowa, seeks to have issue placed on ballotAugust 26th, 2009 Group that opposes gay marriage targeting IowaDES MOINES, Iowa — A group that opposes gay marriage is focusing on Iowa, hoping to overturn a state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. The National Organization for Marriage has launched the Reclaim Iowa Project, targeting legislative races in the state in an effort to elect candidates who support putting the issue of gay marriage before voters.
Influential gay rights group says 2010 too early to ask Calif. voters for same-sex marriageAugust 12th, 2009 CA gay rights group: Wait for 2012 to fight banSAN FRANCISCO — One of California's largest and most influential gay rights groups says it prefers to wait until the 2012 election to ask voters to repeal the state's same-sex marriage ban. Equality California said Wednesday organizers spoke to donors, campaign consultants and community leaders and concluded that pursuing the 2012 ballot, instead of 2010, is the best strategy to win.
Maine gay marriage opponents submit petitions to force referendum on state's law-in-waitingJuly 31st, 2009 Maine gay marriage opponents submit challengesAUGUSTA, Maine — Gay marriage opponents hoping to derail Maine's new law before it can take effect submitted petitions Friday that they said contain more than enough signatures to force a people's veto referendum. Leaders of the Stand for Marriage campaign delivered a stack of cartons holding petitions with more than 100,000 signatures to the Secretary of State's office, which has until Sept.
Opponents of Wash. domestic partnership turn in signatures in effort to overturn lawJuly 26th, 2009 Wash. gay partnership foes turn in signaturesOLYMPIA, Wash. — Sponsors of a campaign to overturn Washington state's domestic partnership law turned in their petition signatures Saturday and said they believe they have enough to force a public vote.
Maine gay marriage foes get enough signatures to block law, put it to statewide voteJuly 8th, 2009 Gay marriage foes reach signature goal in MainePORTLAND, Maine — Gay marriage foes in Maine say they've collected enough signatures to stop a new law from going into effect and to force a statewide vote. Mark Mutty from the Stand for Marriage Maine coalition said Wednesday it took four weeks to gather the more than 55,000 signatures necessary to put gay marriage to a vote.
Maine gay marriage opponents hire California firm that led Prop 8 proposalJune 18th, 2009 Maine gay marriage foes to use Calif. Prop 8 firmPORTLAND, Maine — Gay marriage opponents in Maine have hired the California public relations firm that led the successful Prop 8 proposal to overturn same-sex marriage.
APNewsBreak: Pa. Labor Department investigating 'Jon & Kate Plus 8' child labor complaintMay 29th, 2009 APNewsBreak: Pa. probing 'Jon & Kate' complaintWERNERSVILLE, Pa.
Opponents to expansion of Washington state's domestic partnership law start referendum effortMay 4th, 2009 Challenge to domestic partnership expansion filedOLYMPIA, Wash. — Opponents of an "everything but marriage" bill for same-sex domestic partners have started their bid to overturn the latest effort to expand Washington state's domestic partnership law.
BJP launches 'referendum' on black money in GujaratApril 11th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday launched a two-day 'referendum' in Gujarat, soliciting voters' views on bringing back the black money of Indians stashed in tax havens abroad. The initiative follows instructions of Chief Minister Narendra Modi who wants the exercise to be completed in two days.
Loading ...
September 1st, 2009 at 1:17 am
Election officials continue to say “this is the way we always done it” yet you didn’t use the new registration databases until the 16th day of counting (8/21/09) when the rejection rate was approaching 12.43% and you didn’t use “master checkers” until the 6th of counting (8/07/09) after the rejection rate passed 12.43%.
Let’s go back and review.
8/06/09 - Rejection rate 13.54%
The next day “master checkers” came in for the first time to look at only the already rejected signatures.
8/07/09 - Rejection rate 11.63%
As a result of “master checkers” look at the already rejected signatures the rejection rate dropped from 13.54% to 11.63%. Then on Monday and Tuesday of the following week “junior checkers” and “master checkers” looked at the already rejected signature AGAIN. That’s FOUR looks at the rejected signatures with FOUR different numbers.
8/11/09 - Rejection rate 10.42%
After looking at the already rejected signatures for a third and fourth time the rejection rate dropped to 10.42%, the lowest level the rejection rate ever been. It is standard for the rejection rate to climb as the counting continues, obviously on 8/06/09 R-71 had no chance of making the ballot and was given three more shots by election officials to lower the rejection rate by only looking at the already rejected signatures three more times.
8/12/09 - Rejection rate 10.65%
8/13/09 - Rejection rate 10.68%
8/14/09 - Rejection rate 10.99%
8/17/09 - Rejection rate 11.03%
8/18/09 - Rejection rate 11.32%
8/19/09 - Rejection rate 11.67%
8/20/09 - Rejection rate 11.97%
From 8/12/09 to 8/20/09 the rejection rate climbed EVERY day. It became clear with a rejection rate heading over the needed amount and with 35.9% of signatures still to be looked at something had to be done. Magically the next day election officials “found” new registration databases. Election officials decide to look at all the already rejected signatures with the new databases over an extended period not the one through way they did on 8/07/009, 8/10/09, and 8/11/09. As a result over the next few days the percent of “registration not found” goes down from 10% on 8/20/09 to 9.38% on 8/28/09.
8/21/09 - Rejection rate 11.68%
Has anyone else noticed election officials decided to change procedures on Fridays (8/07/09 and 8/21/09) when people (like journalists) would leave work for the week and when it became clear this referendum wouldn’t make the ballot?