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Dispatches from public radio's correspondent at the Oregon Legislature. This is a venue for political and policy coverage of the state government in Salem and its impact on the people of Oregon.

Amid Recount, Measure 92 Supporters File Suit To Halt Certification Of Vote

KATU screengrab
Yes on 92 campaign manager Paige Richardson speaks at a Portland press conference announcing the lawsuit.

Supporters of a food labeling measure in Oregon are seeking a court order to block the certification of the election results.

The group filed a request for a temporary injunction Monday.

Measure 92 would require food manufacturers and retailers to label genetically engineered foods. It fell just 800 votes short in the November election. A statewide recount is underway but initial tallies show very little movement in the overall totals.

But the Yes on 92 campaign isn't conceding yet. It has filed a lawsuit to get the state to count some 4,000 ballots the campaign says were rejected because the signatures were ruled invalid.

Campaign manager Paige Richardson admits counting those ballots might not actually turn the election in their favor.

The No on 92 campaign says it will "vigorously oppose" efforts to block the certification of ballots. Without an injunction, that could happen this week.

The lawsuit names the Oregon Secretary of State's office and the Multnomah County Elections Division as defendants. A spokesman for Secretary of State Kate Brown declined comment, saying the office was still reviewing the lawsuit.