Anne Arundel accepts petition; Slots measure to ballot

[Kasept]

SIGNATURES ACCEPTED BY ANNE ARUNDEL; SLOTS WILL GO ON BALLOT

Annapolis, Maryland (March 11, 2010) – Today the coalition of petitioners was informed that the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections has verified in excess of the 18,790 signatures required as a threshold to place the slots zoning ordinance on the November ballot. To date, 19,054 signatures have been accepted. Several thousand more signatures are still being processed by the Election Board.

“On behalf of everyone who worked so tirelessly to gather the signatures, we are delighted at today’s news,” said Rob Annicelli, president of the citizens group “Stop Slots at Arundel Mills.” “The referendum was a daunting task, but the clear will of so many citizens in Anne Arundel County has been confirmed today. By the time all the signatures are verified, we expect several thousand more validated signatures.”

“Neither two blizzards nor a baseless lawsuit could deter the groundswell of Anne Arundel County citizens determined to take this matter to referendum. People want the slots zoning ordinance on the ballot,” said Heather Ford, coalition coordinator for “Citizens Against Slots at the Mall,” the umbrella organization and sponsor of the petition filing. “For the same reasons we have reached this milestone, we are confident that the slots zoning ordinance will be rejected by the voters in November.”

According to Tom Chuckas, president of the Maryland Jockey Club: “This has been a coalition in the truest sense of the word and the Maryland Jockey Club has been proud to be a part of this historic effort.”