Recount of Oregon GMO measure 92

Election workers Madaleine Peterson (left) and Mike Hartman deliver ballots for a hand recount at Multnomah County election headquarters in Portland on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014. A hand recount began Tuesday for the Oregon ballot measure that would require labels for genetically modified foods. Counties have until Dec. 12 to complete the count where the first tally showed Measure 92 was narrowly defeated. Multnomah County finished its recount Friday. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

(Don Ryan/The Associated Press)

Multnomah County posted results of its Measure 92 recount Friday afternoon and appeared to seal the measure's doom.

The county tallied 25 more yes votes than it counted the first time around, and charted no change in no votes. But that -- along with slight changes tallied in other counties so far -- is far too small a difference to overcome the 812-vote deficit found in the first statewide count.

No other county favored the measure to require labeling of genetically altered foods more strongly than Multnomah.

Overall, 22 of Oregon's 36 counties have finished their recounts, with an overall net shift of just two votes. Recounts have turned up 48 more votes in favor of the measure and 50 more against.

The campaigns for and against the measure were part of the most expensive ballot measure fight in state history. Opponents such as DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto Co. spent more than $20 million to defeat the measure. Proponents such as Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps spent more than $8 million in favor.

Ultimately, despite strong support in populous Multnomah and Lane counties and just a narrow loss in Washington County, the measure failed by a 0.05 percent margin with more than 1.5 million ballots cast. Anything under 0.2 percent triggers a recount in Oregon.

Supporters saw a glimmer of hope after, under a new state law, state officials publicly released the list of voters whose ballots weren't counted because of a signature problem. Proponents made a big push to get voters to fix their ballots by the Nov. 18 deadline in hopes of closing the gap.

As elections officials updated tallies with the newly fixed ballots, prominent pollster Tim Hibbitts changed his conclusion on the measure from failing to too close to call. The Oregonian, however, stood by its call from the day after the election, concluding that even with a recount, the measure was too far behind to catch up.

The loss followed voter rejection of similar measures in California in 2012 and Washington in 2013. Supporters have pledged to try again in Oregon.

Measure 92 would have required labels on packaging, bins and shipping containers for genetically modified foods and foods containing genetically modified ingredients. Supporters argued that consumers have a right to know what's in their food, while opponents called the measure costly and confusing.

The last statewide measure to be subject to a recount was in 2008, that time on property seizures. Oregon has never seen a statewide recount overturn the initial result.

Remaining counties have until Dec. 12 to finish their recounts, but they're expected to finish before that. Counties that still need to post results are: Clackamas, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Lake, Lane, Linn, Polk, Sherman, Umatilla, Washington and Wheeler.

Of those, Curry, Hood River, Jackson and Lane favored Measure 92.

-- Michelle Brence