Signature Error Rate for Anti-LGBT Measure Referendum 71 Increases

Washington's Secretary of State reported Tuesday that the Referendum 71 signature error rate for that day had risen to 14.4%, up from the 11-12% reported for the earlier days of signature checking.

Referendum 71 seeks to overturn Washington's new "anything but marriage" same-sex domestic partnership law. Due to how it's written, in order to keep the law in place, one must vote to approve Referendum 71.

State election officials say they've now checked 17,317 signatures, with 15,067 accepted.

"The error rate was the highest of any seen during the first three days of scrutiny," said Dave Ammons, secretary of state spokesman.

Referendum 71 proponents, who needed to turn in at minimum 120,577 valid signatures, submitted 137,689, which is 14% more than needed. With the error rate ticking upwards, it's still not clear whether or not it will qualify for this November's ballot.

Track the counting at the Secretary of State's website here.