As votes for and against Proposition 123 continue to pour in following the May 17 special election, officials are not expecting a result until Friday.
Matt Roberts, a spokesman for Secretary of State Michele Reagan, said the time frame surrounding the results is typical of such a contentious issue.
“This is no different, really, than any other time,” he said. “It usually takes them a couple of days depending on the size and scope of the election.”
Part of the perceived delay comes in the form of early ballots, Roberts said. If someone votes by early balloting, but drops off their vote at a polling place — rather than sending it through the mail — they can cause a delay for the counties tabulating votes.
“People are holding onto their early ballots and returning them to polling places rather than putting them in the mail the week before,” Roberts said. “Inadvertently, people are lengthening the time it takes … for some folks to want to know the end result of the election.”
The “yes” vote has maintained a narrow lead since results started funneling in Tuesday night. The lead has usually been one of several thousand votes, roughly equal to a fraction of a percent.
A close race could trigger an automatic recount if the difference between “yes” and “no” votes is less than 200, Roberts said.
“It doesn’t look like it’s trending that way,” he said. “But obviously, there’s always that possibility.”
The Committee Opposing Proposition 123 Chairman Morgan Abraham said his team knew the election would be a close one, and believes the proposition will pass.
“The results right now are looking like it’s going to be a ‘yes’ vote,” he said. “Right now, it’s looking like … we’re going to lose by 1,000 to 2,000 when everything’s said and done.”
The campaign for Proposition 123 — Let's Vote Yes for Arizona Schools, in Support of Prop 123 — did not respond to request for comment.
Proposition 124, a pension reform plan for firefighters and police, was also on the ballot and passed with more than 70 percent of the vote, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
If passed, Proposition 123 would give more funding to schools by taking an increased amount of money from the state land trust fund. This would negate the need to raise taxes for an increase in funding.
Experts believed the election would be a close one. Dan Hunting, senior policy analyst for the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at ASU, said the arguments in favor and against the proposition were both so strong, it would naturally be a close call.
“More money for education without raising taxes, that’s a pretty easy sell,” he said. “It’s the equivalent of finding $20 in an old pair of pants.”
Reach the reporter at jwbowlin@asu.edu or follow @mrjoshuabowling on Twitter.
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