Prop 203 Still has Chance: Lead by Opponents Shrinks Again

No matter which way this thing goes, it's been a hell of a race. The fight for Proposition 203, Arizona's medical marijuana measure, is still on as of Monday evening. Another positive blip for 203 in the late vote counts put the measure at only 3,800 votes behind, according to the latest figures...

By Ray Stern

November 8, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

No matter which way this thing goes, it's been a hell of a race.

The fight for Proposition 203, Arizona's medical marijuana measure, is still on as of Monday evening.

Another positive blip for 203 in the late vote counts put the measure at only 3,800 votes behind, according to the latest figures. This means the weekend reversal of the pro-203 trend has been reversed.

The failure to widen the lead of the opponents is good news for 203 supporters. If you want to stay optimistic that 203 will pass, no one could blame you.

Of course, it's a fact that the "yes" votes haven't been ahead since the counting began last Tuesday night.

But tens of thousands of votes remain uncounted, including nearly 10,000 from Pima and Coconino counties, where the measure passed handily.About 90,000 early ballots and provisional ballots are left uncounted as of Monday evening in Maricopa County, officials say.

By state law, all the votes must be counted by the end of Friday.

We'll be posting updates on 203 until the fat lady sings.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Phoenix New Times has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Ray Stern is the former news editor of Phoenix New Times. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.