Opponents are seeking a recount of the statewide vote for Missouri’s “Right to Farm” constitutional amendment. The measure officially known as Amendment 1 narrowly passed in the Aug. 5 election.
The Missouri secretary of state’s office has confirmed that two recount requests have been filed regarding Amendment 1. One is from former state Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence, on behalf of Missouri's Food for America, one of the groups that had campaigned against the amendment.
The “right to farm” proposal’s winning margin ended up being 2,490 votes out of almost 1 million votes cast — narrow enough to allow a recount.
A spokeswoman with the secretary of state’s office said that the office is announcing Monday that it has officially certified the election results for the Aug. 5 primary. The certification is required before any recounts can be conducted.
The "right to farm" proposal generated a lot of controversy. Backers say it's necessary to protect farmers from unnecessary government regulations and mandates. Opponents said it would primarily protect large corporate farms out to curb local-government efforts to regulate water and air pollution.
Shoemyer said his side was seeking a recount because "with such a close margin, we owe it, not just to all the volunteers and organizations who put in countless hours fighting for Missouri's family farmers, but also to the 497,091 people who voted 'no' on August 5th."
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