NATION IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON STATE : Abortion Initiative Recount Scheduled

A completed count of absentee ballots appeared to give a slim victory to an initiative that would guarantee women in Washington state the right to an abortion even if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade. But the margin is so small that a recount is necessary. The initiative won by an unofficial count of 756,554 to 752,240, or 50.1% to 49.9%, said state elections director Gary McIntosh. State law requires recounts in all races decided by less than 0.5%. McIntosh said the recount, to begin Dec. 5, would take a week.