Washington’s GMO labeling measure too soon to call

Major news organizations are touting the failure of Washington state’s “Yes on 522” measure which, if passed, would require mandatory labeling for products containing genetically modified (GMO) ingredients. But it seems they’ve jumped the gun.

What they fail to recognize is that Washington state is a vote-by-mail state, which currently accounts for a large percentage of votes that haven’t yet been counted – perhaps as much as 40 percent! So, while those votes cast at polling places may have it appear that the measure has gone down in flames, it may well be another case of the media having egg on its face ala Harry Truman’s 1948 re-election.

So we’ll all have to wait a bit to see what voters have really decided. This may take up to a week or so.  And even then, the votes could be subject to a recount before the dust settles. So hang in there and keep your fingers crossed. If the vote is a “yes”, other similar measures in other states are sure to follow Washington’s lead.