The initiative to legalize medical marijuana is within 1,000 signatures of qualifying for November’s ballot.
According to the most recent numbers from the Utah Elections office, organizers for the Utah Medical Cannabis Act have more than 133,000 verified signatures, which is more than the 113,000 needed to get on the ballot. Organizers have turned in a total of 172,000 signatures, but nearly 40,000 have been determined to be invalid.
However, organizers must also get signatures equal to 10% of the last presidential vote in 26 of Utah’s 29 Senate districts.
The medical marijuana initiative has crossed that threshold in 24 Senate districts. According to a UtahPolicy.com review of the numbers, they still must gather.
- SD24 – 2,789 signatures are needed
- SD26 – 1,436 signatures needed
- SD27 – 858 signatures needed
- SD28 – 3,075 signatures needed
- SD29 – 96 signatures needed
Organizers have one week to turn in their remaining signatures. Given the above numbers, it’s not for certain that they’ll meet the 10% requirement in all 29 Senate Districts, but should get there in SD27 and SD29.
Of the remaining ballot proposals, Count My Vote seems to have the best chance to qualify for November’s ballot. Backers have submitted just over 107,000 signatures, of which 90,000 have been determined to be valid. CMV has met the 10% requirement in 5 Senate Districts so far.
The Better Boundaries proposal, which establishes an independent redistricting commission, has met the 10% mark in three Senate districts, but is way off the mark in several others. Organizers have turned in 66,000 valid signatures.
The Utah Decides Healthcare Act, which would have the state fully expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, has also hit the 10% target in three Senate Districts, but is behind in quite a few others. So far, proponents have submitted just over 58,000 signatures.
Once again, the Keep My Voice proposal, which aims to eliminate the signature-gathering route to the primary ballot for candidates, has not submitted any signatures for verification.
Signatures for the various ballot initiatives must be submitted by the close of business one week from Monday.
