State election offices aren't expected to release anymore numbers until early evening, but Washington United for Marriage is declaring victory on Referendum 74.
“This is a clear win,” said WUM campaign manager Zach Silk in a press release. “We have run the numbers every which way, and we can now confidently say that we have won.”
Currently 60 percent of the state's votes are counted and Ref. 74 is leading by 52 percent — 65 percent in King County.
According to the WUM press release, “Simply put, it’s now impossible for opponents to overcome the 52-48% spread for R74.”
In a statement released by Preserve Marriage Washington, however, the uncounted ballots could be key in rejecting the measure.
“We’ve known all along that this would be an extremely close race, and it has proven to be a race that will go down to wire,” said PMW Chairman Joseph Backholm in a press release. “We understand the math is challenging, but there remains a path to victory for us. Everyone needs to respect the process and wait for the ballots to be counted.”
Election offices statewide are expected to begin announcing ballot updates around 4 p.m.
