Anti-LGBT Referendum 71's Chances of Making It to November Ballot Shrink

In order for anti-LGBT Referendum 71 to make Washington state's November ballot, the petition signatures turned in cannot have an error rate above 12.42%.

An update from the Secretary of State's office informs that the latest count of 6,140 petition signatures contains an error rate of 14.2%, shrinking the chances of the challenge to the state's recent "everything but marriage" domestic partnership law making it onto the ballot.

Overall, State Election workers have checked 23,457 names, accepting 20,335 and rejecting 3,122, for a total error rate of 13.31%, almost a whole point above the 12.42% sustainability rate. However the proponents of Referendum 71, Protect Marriage Washington, turned in 137,689 signatures, so many more are left to check.

"We always need to be wary of early counts, but prospects do not look well for them (R-71 sponsors)," Andrew Villeneuve, director of the Northwest Progressive Institute, a liberal policy group, told Seattle PI.

If 14 percent error rates persist, predicted Villeneuve, Referendum 71 "is on track to be rejected" for a place on the ballot.

The full signature check is expected to be completed August 17.