From the Missouri Secretary of State:

[….]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

[….]

Kander Announces Recount on Statewide Ballot Measure

Jefferson City, Mo. – Secretary of State Jason Kander today announced a statewide recount of Constitutional Amendment 1, which appeared on Missouri’s August 5th primary election ballot, has been requested.

Kander’s office has created a webpage (www.sos.mo.gov/elections/Amendment1) to make the recount process more transparent and accessible to Missourians. The page will be updated daily at 3 p.m. to show the recount schedule established by the local election authorities, each local election authority’s report of findings, and a summary of recount results. The office will also train a team of staff members that can be dispatched throughout the state if assistance is requested. Per state statute, the recount will be supervised and certified by the secretary of state’s office no later than September 15.

“My goal is to set the standard for an open, transparent and fair recount process,” Kander said. “Recounts are in place to both ensure the integrity of elections and give Missourians confidence in the results, which is why I put an emphasis on new transparency measures.”

According to state law (RSMo 115.601), recounts are not automatically triggered, but must be requested by a registered voter whose position on the ballot question was defeated. Statewide races are only eligible for a recount when results are separated by less than one half of one percent of total votes cast. Of 996,672 votes cast on Constitutional Amendment 1, there were 499,581 “yes” votes and 497,091 “no” votes, with a difference of 0.24 percent.

The recount was requested by Wes Shoemyer on behalf of Missouri’s Food for America. Constitutional Amendment 1 will be represented by Dan Kleinsorge on behalf of Missouri Farmers Care.

Local election authorities will determine the date and time for recounts to take place in their respective counties, and a bipartisan team of election judges will conduct the process. Media may be present to observe the proceedings.                                    

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Previously:

Campaign Finance: $110,000.00 for something they really care about (January 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Food fight! (May 28, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Because, across Missouri, family farms are being supplanted by… (June 24, 2014)

Campaign Finance: as if yard signs were actually a cash crop for actual farmers… (June 28, 2014)

Utilizing the First Amendment to challenge our oppressive corporate overlords… (July 2, 2014)

Joe Maxwell – “No” on Amendment No. 1 (July 8, 2014)

Campaign Finance: egg money (July 9, 2014)

Campaign Finance: opposing useless law (July 25, 2014)

Right to farm: read the small print and between the lines (July 25, 2014)

Pinch me, I must be dreaming – Cynthia Davis gets it right on Amendment 1 (July 30, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Big agriculture money keeps pouring in for Amendment 1 (July 31, 2014)

Baker Creek Seed Company – Vote “No” on Amendment 1 (August 3, 2014)

Senator Paul LeVota (D) on Amendment 1 (August 4, 2014)

After all that corporate money this is the best that they can do on Amendment 1? (August 6, 2014)

There’s a blurb by the stenographer on Attorney General Chris Koster and some fallout on Amendment 1 in the Kansas City Star:

Steve Kraske: Chris Koster hits his first speed bump on the road to Missouri governor

By STEVE KRASKE

The Kansas City Star

08/08/2014 3:42 PM

….In recent days, two longtime party leaders – former lieutenant governor Joe Maxwell and former state senator Joan Bray – have questioned Koster’s bona fides for the state’s highest office….

….Bray and Maxwell, known for his work on elderly and children’s issues, pointed to Koster’s public support of the controversial “right to farm” amendment that appears to have narrowly passed. Critics, including Maxwell, called the amendment a sellout to corporate and foreign interests.

Koster backed the “right to bear arms” amendment that passed with National Rifle Association backing but that many Democrats opposed. Koster has long enjoyed NRA support….

Bad Democrat, bad, bad Democrat.

Dude, the speed bumps have always been there.

Here’s the thing. As one Democrat told me a long time ago [paraphrased], “There are maybe eight thousand party activist Democrats who vote in the primary. There are several hundred thousand other voters who cast ballots in that same party primary.”  

Interestingly, the stenographer didn’t bother to mention this:

4:15 pm Fri August 1, 2014

Kander Joins Koster In Backing ‘Right To Farm’ Amendment

By Jason Rosenbaum

Secretary of State Jason Kander is throwing his supporting behind the so-called “right to farm” amendment. Friday afternoon Kander’s office sent out a statement indicating that he will vote for Amendment 1….

….”I served with Jason in the Legislature, and expected more from him,” said [Wes] Shoemyer, the president of the anti-Amendment 1 group Missouri’s Food for America….

Here’s another thing. The Democratic Party statewide candidates we get are not always the Democratic Party statewide candidates we want. In the end the choice in November 2016 is probably going to be between the Democratic Party nominee we have and a right wingnut republican. I may not be particularly thrilled about it, but I know how I’ll vote.

Not particularly decisive, via the Missouri Secretary of State::

UnOfficial Results

as of 8/6/2014 4:49:49 AM

Constitutional Amendment 1 3898 of 3898 Precincts Reported

YES 498,751 50.127%

NO 496,223 49.873%

Total Votes: 994,974

By 0.254%. What a waste (dual reference intended).

Previously:

Campaign Finance: $110,000.00 for something they really care about (January 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Food fight! (May 28, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Because, across Missouri, family farms are being supplanted by… (June 24, 2014)

Campaign Finance: as if yard signs were actually a cash crop for actual farmers… (June 28, 2014)

Utilizing the First Amendment to challenge our oppressive corporate overlords… (July 2, 2014)

Joe Maxwell – “No” on Amendment No. 1 (July 8, 2014)

Campaign Finance: egg money (July 9, 2014)

Campaign Finance: opposing useless law (July 25, 2014)

Right to farm: read the small print and between the lines (July 25, 2014)

Pinch me, I must be dreaming – Cynthia Davis gets it right on Amendment 1 (July 30, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Big agriculture money keeps pouring in for Amendment 1 (July 31, 2014)

Baker Creek Seed Company – Vote “No” on Amendment 1 (August 3, 2014)

Senator Paul LeVota (D) on Amendment 1 (August 4, 2014)

Senator Paul LeVota (D) via Twitter this morning on the water crisis in Toledo, Ohio:

Paul LeVota ‏@paullevota

Fertilizer from farms & waste from livestock pens triggers water crisis. What if they had a “Right to Farm” this way? (http://t.co/fNLM4MLKMD) 7:15 AM – 4 Aug 2014

Uh, yep.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: $110,000.00 for something they really care about (January 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Food fight! (May 28, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Because, across Missouri, family farms are being supplanted by… (June 24, 2014)

Campaign Finance: as if yard signs were actually a cash crop for actual farmers… (June 28, 2014)

Utilizing the First Amendment to challenge our oppressive corporate overlords… (July 2, 2014)

Joe Maxwell – “No” on Amendment No. 1 (July 8, 2014)

Campaign Finance: egg money (July 9, 2014)

Campaign Finance: opposing useless law (July 25, 2014)

Right to farm: read the small print and between the lines (July 25, 2014)

Pinch me, I must be dreaming – Cynthia Davis gets it right on Amendment 1 (July 30, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Big agriculture money keeps pouring in for Amendment 1 (July 31, 2014)

Baker Creek Seed Company – Vote “No” on Amendment 1 (August 3, 2014)