Proponents say an estimated one million uncounted ballots may yet overturn voter rejection Tuesday of a ballot measure to raise the California state tax on cigarettes by USD 1, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Proposition 29, which would have more than doubled the tax, was rejected by a 50.7 per cent to 49.3 per cent margin in Tuesday’s vote. The margin of defeat was 52,745 votes.
However a consultant to the ‘yes’ faction told the newspaper an estimated one million absentee, provisional and damaged ballots remain counted. Provisional ballots are issued to voters who turn up at polling stations where there was no record of their registration. The Secretary of State’s Office has said 702,000 ballots are uncounted with estimates of more than half of California’s 58 counties unavailable, according to a story on the newspaper website.
One million uncounted votes would represent about 20 per cent of the roughly 4 million ballots cast, consultant Steve Smith told the LA Times. “The election almost certainly is going to get narrower,” he said. Election officials have until 6 July to count the ballots and report to the Secretary of State, the newspaper said. (pi)