Press release from Secretary of State Ken Bennett:

Proposition 112 recount certified; results confirm ballot measure’s defeat

More than 1.75 million ballots recounted as required by Arizona law

PHOENIX – The statewide recount of Proposition 112 has been successfully completed, with the results certified today by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Oberbillig.

Those results confirm the defeat of Prop 112, which would have moved up by 60 days the deadline for citizens’ initiative campaigns to submit signature petitions to qualify for the ballot.

Following the state’s Nov. 2 General Election, “no” votes on Prop 112 exceeded “yes” votes by 128. The closeness of the vote total triggered an automatic recount under the guidelines of Arizona law. (ARS 16-661)

Following today’s certification of that recount, the proposition was defeated by a margin of 194 votes out of 1,750,932 ballots cast. The recount found that 792,858 votes were cast against Prop 112; 792,664 were cast in favor. The remaining 200,000 or so state ballots didn’t include a vote on the Prop 112 issue.

“This statewide recount was a massive endeavor,” said Secretary of State Ken Bennett. “The efficient and accurate manner in which it was conducted is testimony to the collective efforts of state and county elections staff.”

The Prop 112 recount was the first of its kind for a statewide ballot proposition in Arizona . Every state ballot was recounted in the same manner it was tabulated following the General Election, as mandated under state law. The recount WAS NOT administered by hand.

A slight shift in vote totals was inevitable in light of the large number of ballots being re-tabulated. But the Secretary of State’s Office was pleased that the re-counted result for Prop 112 was within 99.996 percent of the vote total tabulated immediately following the General Election.

“The historic nature and sheer scale of this recount made it a learning experience for all of us,” Secretary Bennett said. “But this exercise confirmed the accuracy of our voting system, and should give voters confidence in the integrity of Arizona elections.”

Proposition 112 was losing by 128 votes after all the early & provisional ballots were counted days after the November 2nd General Election, and now this recount certified its defeat by 194 votes.

November 2nd Election Day/night parties hosted by the official (and unofficial) political parties in Southern Arizona:

4 p.m. Tucson Tea Party, Doubletree Hotel, 445 S. Alvernon Way (south of Broadway)

7 p.m. Pima County Republican Party, Doubletree Hotel, 445 W. Alvernon Way

7 p.m. Pima County Democratic Party, Tucson Marriott University Park Hotel, 880 E. 2nd Street (east of Euclid Avenue)

For a recent survey report on the Arizona Tea Party, click here.

And what about parties by the Green Party of Pima County and Pima County Libertarian Party? Does anyone know?

And where will the “Independent” candidates like Harley Meyer (CD 7 U.S. House), Gene Chewning (LD 27 House), Ted Downing (LD 28 Senate),and Dave Ewoldt (LD 28 Senate) go to party? I guess if they win, they will be throwing their own parties. Ewoldt does have a campaign headquarters at 2602 E. Grant Rd.

UPDATE: Ewoldt is having a free bbq/potluck BYOB party at his headquarters tonight starting at 5 p.m. See comments below.

(By the way, the only Independent politician in Southern Arizona — as far as I know — was Ward 2 Councilwoman Carol West, who was elected as a Democrat but changed to Independent before her term was up.)

Hope you find something to celebrate about on General Election Night.