PRESS RELEASE

Proposition 112 recount certified; results confirm ballot measure's defeat

More than 1.75 million ballots recounted as required by Arizona law

PHOENIX - The statewide recount of Proposition 112 has been successfully completed, with the results certified today by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Oberbillig.

Those results confirm the defeat of Prop 112, which would have moved up by 60 days the deadline for citizens’ initiative campaigns to submit signature petitions to qualify for the ballot.

Following the state’s Nov. 2 General Election, “no” votes on Prop 112 exceeded “yes” votes by 128. The closeness of the vote total triggered an automatic recount under the guidelines of Arizona law. (A.R.S. § 16-661)

Following today’s certification of that recount, the proposition was defeated by a margin of 194 votes out of 1,750,932 ballots cast. The recount found that 792,858 votes were cast against Prop 112; 792,664 were cast in favor. The remaining 200,000 or so state ballots didn’t include a vote on the Prop 112 issue. 

“This statewide recount was a massive endeavor,” said Secretary of State Ken Bennett. “The efficient and accurate manner in which it was conducted is testimony to the collective efforts of state and county elections staff.”

The Prop 112 recount was the first of its kind for a statewide ballot proposition in Arizona. Every state ballot was recounted in the same manner it was tabulated following the General Election, as mandated under state law. The recount WAS NOT administered by hand.

A slight shift in vote totals was inevitable in light of the large number of ballots being re-tabulated. But the Secretary of State’s Office was pleased that the re-counted result for Prop 112 was within 99.996 percent of the vote total tabulated immediately following the General Election.

“The historic nature and sheer scale of this recount made it a learning experience for all of us,” Secretary Bennett said. “But this exercise confirmed the accuracy of our voting system, and should give voters confidence in the integrity of Arizona elections.”

View the Recount Results, click here.