Did Washington marriage petition meet state mark?
At press time in late July, uncertainty reigns on whether Referendum 71 faces voters By JOHN FORTMEYER CNNW publisher OLYMPIA, Wash. — As this newspaper went to press in late July, it was too close to call whether a controversial measure supporters say pertains to marriage received enough valid voter signatures to make Washington’s November ballot. While it appeared the minimum 120,577 signatures was exceeded by about 18,000— thanks largely to the efforts of concerned churches and evangelical Christian groups statewide — the big question was whether Referendum 71 had drawn enough extra signatures to act as a cushion for erroneous or duplicate petition signatures. Answering that question could take until the end of this month — the amount of time the secretary of state’s office estimates will be needed to verify the signatures. But referendum sponsors expressed hope on July 25, the deadline for turning petitions in to the state, that their efforts paid off. Gary Randall of Faith and Fre
