COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - The future of marijuana sales in Colorado Springs hangs by a slim margin.
Two initiatives on the ballot, question 2-D and question 300, are both leaning in favor of allowing recreational sales in the city -- but only by a handful of votes.
Nearly a week after Election Day, votes are still being counted, with the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office telling 11 News it expects to report the next batch, including cured ballots, on Thursday.
But as of Sunday, here’s where both measures stand.
Question 2-D, if approved by voters, would ban recreational marijuana sales in Colorado Springs. Right now, it’s failing, 120,984 to 118,571, or exactly 1 percent (50.50 percent to 49.50 percent).
Question 300, which would allow recreational sales but only in certain places in the city, is currently on track to pass, 129,979 to 107,888.
In a statement to 11 News, City Council President Pro Tem Lynette Crow Iverson said she respects the vote but that she believes there may have been confusion among citizens that could impact the results.
“I also heard from many voters who were understandably confused by the presence of two conflicting measures on the ballot. ... This confusion clouded the issue and may have impacted the vote,” the statement read.
Those in favor of recreational sales told 11 News the vote clearly shows this is what residents of Colorado Springs want.
”Voters want recreational The city will reap the benefits of a much-needed source of tax revenue, which will help residents with public safety needs, mental health services, and PTSD treatments for veterans,” read, in part, a statement by a spokesperson from Citizens for Responsible Marijuana on question 300. “The small businesses who currently sell medical marijuana in Colorado Springs are elated to continue being good stewards of the community, contributing to the thriving economy that is Colorado Springs. We know that those in municipal government will defer to the clearly expressed intent of voters to authorize recreational marijuana, and we look forward to working with city leaders over the coming months to create a responsible regulatory framework.”?
The two conflicting ballot measures may have also confused voters as to whether recreational sales would happen or not if both were to pass. City officials tell 11 News that the results of 2-D override question 300, and that if both measures were to pass, recreational sales would be banned.