cannabisnews.com: MJ Initiative Backers Forgot 6,000 Signatures MJ Initiative Backers Forgot 6,000 Signatures Posted by CN Staff on June 24, 2004 at 11:08:48 PT By The Associated Press Source: Associated Press Las Vegas -- An initiative to legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana in Nevada might go up in smoke, after organizers forgot to file 6,000 petition signatures in southern Nevada. Clark County Registrar Larry Lomax said Billy Rogers, president of the political consulting firm seeking to qualify the petition, is pleading for him to accept the 6,000 names. "Unfortunately, the state law says they have to turn it all in by June 15," Lomax told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The oversight doesn't kill the petition, but it narrows the margin for error for the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana to qualify in 13 of the state's 17 counties and secure a spot on the November statewide ballot. An initial count found a sufficient number of signatures in 14 counties. Officials have yet to determine how many signatures are valid. Steve George, spokesman for Secretary of State Dean Heller, said 70 percent of petition signatures are usually valid. Others are often duplicates or people who aren't properly registered to vote. In Clark County, organizers submitted about 35,000 signatures in support of the marijuana petition, with 31,360 needed to qualify. If the petition fails to qualify in Clark County, it would have qualify in each of the other 13 counties validating signatures. Rogers sent Lomax a letter Monday saying the signatures that organizers forgot to submit were properly notarized before the June 15 deadline. "Your refusal to accept signatures gathered prior to June 15, 2004, may disenfranchise voters who signed the petition prior to June 15, 2004," said Rogers, who works for the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C., lobbying group. Nevada has drawn moves to legalize marijuana in part because of the state's liberal initiative laws and because voters have approved the use of marijuana for medical reasons. But voters in 2002 overwhelmingly rejected Rogers' efforts to legalize up to 3 ounces of marijuana. The new measure would amend the Nevada Constitution to legalize possession of 1 ounce of marijuana sold, licensed and regulated by the state. It would also raise penalties for driving under the influence of a controlled substance and for selling marijuana to minors. Voters would have to approve the measure in November and again in 2006 before it could take effect. Complete Title: Marijuana Initiative Backers Forgot 6,000 Signatures in Las VegasSource: Associated PressPublished: Thursday, June 24, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Legalization of Marijuana: Initiative in Jeopardyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19052.shtmlMarijuana Legalizers Not Giving Up Yethttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19039.shtmlAnother Try at Legalizing Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17928.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #13 posted by FoM on June 25, 2004 at 08:36:49 PT Hope I am not upset if this doesn't make it to voters. I feel sorry for all the people who worked collecting signatures because I mind people wasting precious time. The penalties concerning minors was something that seemed so harsh I didn't understand it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Hope on June 25, 2004 at 07:55:41 PT Poor man His name could become a synonym for something less than flattering. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Hope on June 25, 2004 at 07:46:00 PT It wasn't that good anyway There are some pretty harsh punishments called for in that measure. Maybe a relative innocent has been saved somehow.However it happened, I feel sorry for Rogers. He'll always be the "stupid" guy and the scapegoat, more or less in one way or another and famous for it until the day he dies. Probably his offspring will be known as the offspring of "that guy".It wasn't that good anyway. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by OverwhelmSam on June 24, 2004 at 19:10:38 PT Overwhelmingly Defeated - A Side Note The media keeps saying that the last ballot initiative to legalize marijuana was "overwhelmingly rejected" by voters in 2002. It was 60/40. I would say 90/10 is an overwhelming defeat. Six out of ten is almost half. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on June 24, 2004 at 13:01:08 PT medicinal toker You said it! It's really hard for me to not say anything but it's best. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 24, 2004 at 12:59:36 PT Marc Very busy day! I love being busy. I hope you are feeling better. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by medicinal toker on June 24, 2004 at 12:59:21 PT fire billy rogers! How could this happen? Heads should roll at MPP for this screwup! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Marc Paquette on June 24, 2004 at 12:53:29 PT: Forgotten box of pot petition signatures found You are welcomed my dear friend FoM :o)..my pleasure! It's a quite a busy day..lots of Cannabis News http://www.medpot.net/forums [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by E_Johnson on June 24, 2004 at 12:34:56 PT As Popeye would say How embarasking! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Max Flowers on June 24, 2004 at 11:30:24 PT This really looks bad I can just hear my dad, who lives in Nevada and is an alcohol drinking pot hater, laughing at the irony of cannabis activists "forgetting" to file petition signatures. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on June 24, 2004 at 11:30:04 PT Thanks Marc! I have it posted now.http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19056.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Richard Paul Zuckerm on June 24, 2004 at 11:19:20 PT: BILLY ROGERS SHOULD PAY!! Billy Rogers should pay for the breach of his duty to turn over all of the petitions, even if it was only accidental. How much money was Billy Rogers paid for his work? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Marc Paquette on June 24, 2004 at 11:14:44 PT: Forgotten box of pot petition signatures found Today: June 24, 2004 at 9:38:27 PDT Forgotten box of pot petition signatures foundBy Ed Koch LAS VEGAS SUN http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/.../517071638.htmlA forgotten box containing 6,000 petition signatures of Clark County residents might cost voters a chance to decide in November whether to legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana.Organizers of the ballot question last week said they submitted 66,135 signatures. Out of those, they need 51,337 valid signatures to get the issue on the ballot.However, Billy Rogers, who works for the Washington D.C.-based Marijuana Project and operates a local political consulting firm, subsequently told the Election Department he found a box with 6,000 more signatures and wanted to turn them in after the June 15 deadline.Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax said no, citing state law that outlaws signatures from being turned in after the deadline.The marijuana signatures were turned in on June 15, Lomax said, noting that, under state law, even if they were turned in on June 10, the additional signatures would not have been accepted if they were turned in later that day. All signatures must be submitted at one time, he said.Supporters of the measure, which also would increase penalties for selling pot to minors and for driving under the influence of the drug, remain undaunted even with the setback."We have more than 66,000 signatures statewide, we are confident we will make it on the ballot," Rogers said today, noting that more than 35,000 signatures from Clark County were turned in where 31,360 were required.Rogers wrote in a letter to Lomax dated Monday: "The discovery of properly notarized signatures on June 19, 2004, should not disenfranchise voters if a remedy exists to include them in the count and verification."Lomax said a general rule of thumb is that during the validation process three of every 10 signatures are tossed out for various reasons, most commonly because the signer is not a registered voter."They are going to need an unbelievably clean petition," Lomax said noting that 10 percent of 35,000 -- 3,500 -- would put the petition on the cusp of failure."The Education First ballot question qualified yesterday with a 72 percent validity rate. Seventy percent usually is a good estimate, though we have had much cleaner petitions and much worse than that."Education First, which would require the Legislature to pass the school aid budget first, turned in 83,046 signatures.But if the 70 percent threshold holds true in the marijuana case, the 6,000 forgotten ballots might not have made a difference anyway. Those signatures would have put the number at 72,000 names submitted, and 70 percent of that number is 50,400, which would be a few hundred valid signatures short.Rogers declined to comment today on why someone forgot to turn in the additional signatures which currently "are being stored in the law offices of Ross Goodman for safekeeping," Rogers wrote in his letter to Lomax.Lomax said the validation process is under way for the signatures on the marijuana question and four other questions and is expected to be completed sometime next week. http://www.medpot.net/forums [ Post Comment ] Post Comment