Absentee Ballots Still Being Counted in Prop. 10 Race

Proposition 10, the initiative that would tax tobacco to fund programs for young children, is caught in the limbo of absentee ballot counting.

With nearly 800,000 ballots yet to be sifted through in counties around the state as of Monday, the measure--sponsored by film director Rob Reiner--remained ahead by less than one percentage point: 50.3% to 49.7%.

“The ‘yes’ side is still favored, but that could change any day,” said Shirley Washington, a spokeswoman for the secretary of state.

The ballots left to be tallied are primarily those of absentee voters, who historically have been more conservative and more likely to reject new taxes and new government programs.

Washington said she had no estimate of when the count will be completed, since her office must rely on counties to do the work and by law they may take up to 28 days after the Nov. 3 election.