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Butler says there won’t be a tax election recount

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One of the most vocal opponents of the spaceport tax says the loosely knit group can’t afford and won’t seek a recount. “No recount. No money,” said Doña Ana County Commissioner Oscar Vasquez Butler. “This is rich against the poor.” The most updated count as of 5 p.m. Thursday gives supporters of the tax 8,947 votes, or 50.8 percent, and opponents 8,682 votes, or 49.2 percent. The difference is 265 votes, or 1.6 percent, and there are 108 provisional ballots left to consider. Continue Reading

Spaceport tax supporters exuberant in victory

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As it became clear this afternoon that they had enough votes to declare victory, spaceport tax supporters expressed joy and exhaustion after having campaigned so hard for its approval. “I haven’t slept for a week,” said Doña Ana County Commissioner Kent Evans. “I just think it’s wonderful.” Provisional ballot tallies from precincts 61 and 63 that came in just before 4 p.m. made it mathematically impossible for opponents of the tax to win. The results after the counting of those precincts give supporters a 253-vote lead with about 227 provisional ballots left to consider. They have 8,906 votes, or 50.7 percent, to opponents’ 8,653 votes, or 49.3 percent. Continue Reading

Tax supporters need 16 votes to declare victory

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Spaceport tax supporters need 16 more votes for it to be statistically impossible to lose. The current tally is 8,863 votes, or 50.7 percent, for the tax, and 8,613 votes, or 49.3 percent, opposed. That’s a margin of 250 votes, or 1.6 percent. There are approximately 281 provisional ballots left to be considered. If all count, supporters need 16 more to declare victory. Continue Reading

Tax supporters need 32 more votes, I think

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Apparently my math was wrong before, because I now think tax supporters need 32 votes to win, and supporters think they need 31. Either way, this is just about over. There are currently 8,863 votes, or 50.7 percent, in favor of the tax, and 8,613 votes, or 49.3 percent, opposed. The margin is 250 votes, or 1.6 percent. There are currently 160 provisional votes, or 66 percent, in favor of the tax, and 83, or 34 percent, opposed. Continue Reading

Tax supporters need 52 more votes to win, I think

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Spaceport tax supporters continue to pull ahead as elections workers tally provisional ballots this afternoon. Supporters now have 8,812 votes, or 50.6 percent. Opponents have 8,530 votes, or 49.4 percent. The margin is 282 votes, or 1.2 percent. Provisional ballots now stand at 109, or 60 percent, in support of the tax; 62, or 40 percent, opposed, and 11, or 6 percent, rejected. Continue Reading

Election margin at 205 votes; 413 provisionals remain

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At this rate, spaceport tax supporters might be able to declare victory today, even though all provisional ballots won’t be counted until Friday. My newest tally has tax supporters with 8,793 votes, or 50.6 percent, and opponents with 8,588 votes, or 49.4 percent. That’s a difference of 205 votes, or 1.2 percent. Elections workers have sorted through 158 provisional ballots from 39 precincts. They have rejected 10. Continue Reading

Computer problems led to tax election recount

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Doña Ana County Elections Supervisor Lynn Ellins said his office opted to spend Thursday recounting ballots in the spaceport tax election because of computer problems on election night. Those problems meant officials weren’t entirely confident in the results, so they recounted the results three times by hand and once using computers. That work led to the new, unofficial results released today. The numbers didn’t change much – tax supporters lost 78 votes and opponents lost 47 – but in such a close race, it mattered. Ellins also noted that, thus far today, elections workers have rejected fewer than 5 percent of provisional ballots. Continue Reading

Richardson to sign bills in Las Cruces on Friday

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Gov. Bill Richardson is becoming a frequent visitor to Las Cruces. In what will be his fifth trip to the city of the crosses since announcing on Jan. 21 that he’s running for president, Richardson will sign a number of bills at a public event Friday afternoon, his office said this morning. Details are still being worked out, but the event will likely be held around 4 p.m. The visit will be squeezed between out-of-state trips. Richardson returns tonight from a campaign trip to New Hampshire, and leaves Sunday for North Korea to try to secure the remains of American soldiers killed during the Korean war. Continue Reading