As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, the ban — Ballot Question 300 — was leading 16,798 votes to 11,544 and had widened its margin of victory with every report, according to the Boulder and Weld county clerk's offices. That gave ban supporters about 59 percent of the vote.
“Are you kidding?” screamed ban supporter Teresa Foster as results came in to a watch party held by Our Health, Our Future, Our Longmont. “Awesome! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!”
The charter amendment bans hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” a process used by oil and gas drillers to crack rock deep below the surface of the Candace Newcomb, Mark Lusher and Jean Ditslear, from left, check election results during a Ballot Question 300 watch party at Ditslear's home in Longmont on Tuesday.
The charter amendment bans hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a a process used by oil and gas drillers to crack rock deep below the surface of the earth. (Greg Lindstrom/Times-Call)
earth. Supporters of a ban say the practice is environmentally risky; opponents say the risks are exaggerated and that the measure would bring lawsuits and expensive claims for “taking” mineral rights.