Federal Judge Denies Recount for 'Safer Portland' Ballot Initiative Aiming to Redirect Climate Funds to Police
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon has denied requests for an emergency recount of signatures for the 'Safer Portland' ballot initiative. This initiative sought to reallocate 25% of new funds from the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) to hire more police officers. Safer Portland alleged that election officials improperly discarded thousands of signatures, preventing the initiative from qualifying for the November ballot. However, Judge Simon concluded that election officials followed the law in good faith when examining the signatures. He noted inconsistencies on the petition sheets, including mismatched signatures, and stated that petitioners submitted signatures on the final day, leaving no time to correct discrepancies. The lawsuit involved city, county, and state election offices after Safer Portland declined to accept the initial results. The Portland auditor's office affirmed the court's decision, stating that the plaintiffs had the opportunity to present evidence in federal court, and the court denie... 
