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Anti-gmo march and rally in Kahului on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014. Photo by Rodney S Yap.

Maui voters have approved an initiative that places a moratorium on GMO cultivation in Maui County.

A total of 22,647 people vote YES in favor of the moratorium, representing 50% of the vote, while 21,807 people (48.1%) voted against the measure.

Just 840 votes separated the two sides after the third printout, which included all 34 precincts in Maui County.

Outstanding walk-in votes will be tallied in a final printout that has yet to be released by the State Office of Elections.

Earlier in the evening, the “no” votes were ahead after the first printout when 11,370 voters from the absentee and walk-in counts voted against the initiative for a 58.4% vote, compared to the 7,655 (39.3%) early votes counted in favor of the initiative.

When the second printout was released, which included 13 of 34 precincts, the “no” votes were still in the lead, but by a slimmer margin with 14,889  (54.4%) “no” votes and 11,906  (43.5%) “yes” votes.

By the third printout, the tides had turned in favor of the initiative supporters.  With only outstanding walk-in votes unaccounted for, the results all but final.

The initiative calls for environmental and public health impact studies, public hearings, and a two-thirds vote and a determination by the Maui County Council that operations meet standards.  The initiative also calls for the establishment of criminal and civil penalties to be adopted and established for the County of Maui.