The group We the People gathered 870 valid signatures of registered voters, about half the 1,623 needed to qualify the measure for the Nov. 2 general election, according to the Riverside County registrar of voters.
The group gathered a total of 2,678 signatures, which were sent to the registrar's office on June 17 for verification. The Lake Elsinore city clerk's office received the results Tuesday.
News of the failure stunned Wayne Williams, a We the People spokesman who led the signature drive.
"I'm bummed right now," Williams said by phone. "I want to know how they disqualified that many."
Williams said he was sure he had gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.
He said he and others who carried the petitions went only to homes of registered voters. He said he made sure they questioned those they approached in public places to ensure that they were registered in Lake Elsinore.
"When we went to gas stations and minimarts, we asked specifically, 'Are you registered in Lake Elsinore?' " Williams said. "I played it safe. I'm actually floored right now."
A breakdown of the registrar's results shows a variety of reasons for the rejected signatures.
Among the reasons for rejection: 645 were not registered voters; 203 were not residents of the city; 130 were registered at a different address; and 59 signed more than once, the registrar's report stated. Another 710 were rejected because the signatures did not match the voter registration card and 32 signatures could not be identified, the report said.
"I'm curious about the signatures that didn't match," Williams said.
Williams, of Wildomar, began the signature drive in December as Lake Elsinore adopted a temporary ban on medical marijuana businesses.
Williams said he was concerned about the number of unlicensed medical marijuana dispensaries in and around Lake Elsinore. One business in the city was closed recently after the City Council turned down an appeal of the business license revocation. The license allowed sales of clothing and holistic medicines, but not medical marijuana.
Williams could start another drive to get a dispensary measure on the ballot, but it is unlikely it could be completed in time for the November ballot. He said he's not sure he wants to do it just yet.
"We gave it a shot," Williams said. "We tried."
Source: The Press-Enterprise
Posts
