Gambling news from http://www.columbusdispatch.com/
A petition drive to let Ohioans vote on allowing slot-machine gambling at horse-racing tracks and in Cleveland has fallen short of the required number of signatures.
But not by much.
Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell's office announced today that backers of the Learn and Earn constitutional amendment need 8,716 more signatures.
Supporters have 10 calendar days to gather and submit additional names.
Learn and Earn continued to solicit signatures even after turning in a petition with 624,625 signatures Aug. 1. Spokeswoman Linda Siefkassaid the group expects to have at least 50,000 new signatures.
“We're 100 percent sure that Learn and Earn will be on the ballot this fall,” she said.
To get on the ballot, Learn and Earn supporters need 322,899 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters. A high percentage of signatures on its petition were invalidated, particularly in urban counties.
It was the second of five potential state issues to fall short. An issue proposing to rescind part of a law limiting benefits for injured workers fell short last week, the secretary of state said.
Issue backers had enough total signatures, but failed to get enough names in 44 of 88 counties as required by law.
Action on three other proposed statewide issues is pending.
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