PRESS RELEASE   -   Immediate            June 20, 2008

Deborah R. DeLong, Malheur County Clerk

RE:   Mandated Hand Recount of State Measure 53

The Oregon Secretary of State has mandated a statewide hand recount of State Measure 53 as per ORS 258.290, which says that an automatic hand recount is required when the difference in the number of votes for or against any measure is not more than one-fifth of one percent of the total votes cast.  Every ballot statewide will be looked at by a person (election board) and hand counted. 

The certified results for the May 20, 2008, Primary Election for State Measure 53 was as follows: 

Statewide        Yes   489,592              Malheur County            Yes    2,559

No    489,042                                                    No     2,868

The statewide difference of 550 votes in this contest falls within the number requiring an automatic recount (1,957).

Malheur County has completed this mandatory hand recount of Measure 53.  The results of the hand recount concur with the totals arrived at with the vote tally machine used during the May 20, 2008 Primary Election.  Therefore, the certified numbers for Malheur County remain unchanged.