Proposition 11 Backers Claim Victory

The Governor is among the first to declare Prop 11 as a win:

“This is really the first time that an initiative like this has won in America — this is why this is historic — the first time where really citizens independently of the Legislature “… will draw the district lines in the future” Schwarzenegger told reporters in Los Angeles.

“So this is a huge, huge victory for us and I just want to say thank you to the people.”

With all precincts reporting late Wednesday, Prop 11 was winning, but only by about 100,000 votes.

Nor is he alone. Schwarzenegger commented at a victory rally for Prop 11 in Los Angeles and other proponents of the measure also cited the 100% reporting statistic as confirmation of victory:

At a Los Angeles victory rally, representatives from 11-backing groups such as the state AARP, Common Cause and the League of Women Voters – as well as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – said the win was a sign voters agreed with the need to reform how political districts are drawn.

“One of the fundamental principles of our democracy is that citizens are able to select leaders who represent their interests,” said state AARP president Jeannine English, at the rally. “We will again be able to do that because of this initiative, and because the voters have decided that we need to take that rigged system out of the districting system and we need to put in a fair, open, transparent system, and that’s what today brings.”

The celebrations, though, may still be premature as Doug Johnson points out in the comments:

100% of Precincts Reporting, Wed., at 4:05 pm:

Ballots left to count statewide: somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 million

Proposition 11
Yes: 4,666,457 (50.6%)
No: 4,567,680 (49.4%)

Blank: 1,257,024 (12% of all ballots cast)

Change from 99.5% reporting:
Yes: +21,430 (no % change)
No: +19,983 (no % change)
blank (relative to # cast for President): 12%

With as many as 3.5 million ballots still waiting to be tallied, a 100,000 vote lead is far from commanding. Cautiously optimistic may still be a better frame of mind for redistricting reformers.

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