Seahawk Stadium Leads 51 To 49, With 95 Percent Counted

Referendum 48’s cushion grew with ballot-counting in 10 counties Thursday, making it even more likely that the Seattle Seahawks will get a new stadium and a new owner.

Yes now leads by 34,530 votes: 762,132 (51.1 percent) to 727,602 (48.8 percent).

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is proceeding with his offer to buy the Seahawks and keep them in Seattle. He had said he’d purchase the team from Ken Behring only if a new stadium was approved by voters.

Referendum 48 calls for the state to sell $300 million in bonds to” ward construction of a $425 million outdoor stadium, exhibition hall and parking garage.

Of the counties tabulating ballots Thursday, five favored the measure and five opposed it. The five in favor included large counties Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap, as well as Benton and Island counties.

Clark County was the only larger county on the no side Thursday. The others were Pend Oreille, Grays Harbor, Jefferson and Skagit counties.

Counties have until Tuesday to finish counting ballots and report results to the state. Secretary of State Ralph Munro has until June 27 to certify the results.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Scripps-McClatchy Western Service