UPDATE: Under 1,500 votes split the measure. Counties in Oregon have a 5 p.m. Monday deadline to post final tallies.
Dive Brief:
- Fox 12 political analyst Tim Hibbitts says Oregon's proposed GMO labeling law, which narrowly failed, may be headed for a recount.
- Final election returns from 15 counties suggest there could be more "yes" votes than on prior results, according to Hibbitts. "The margin of error is 3,000," Hibbitts says. "I'm completely comfortable it's going to be way inside of that; we are going to go to a recount."
- This wasn't the only close vote on election day - the Maui County, HI, moratorium vote is already facing lawsuits.
Dive Insight:
If Hibbitts is correct, there will surely be continuing lawsuits regarding the measure's legitimacy. GMO labeling and other GMO issues continue to be a point of contention across a variety of different markets. Alfalfa farmers in Oregon are currently fighting a GMO ban in Jackson County that passed in May, and Starbucks is being targeted in issues surrounding Vermont's GMO labeling law.