Legal sale of alcoholic, mixed beverages passes in Graham

The legal sale of alcoholic beverages, including mixed beverages, within the city of Graham was approved after results were released from the special election Saturday. The measure was added to the ballot following a petition filed by the Graham Wet Committee which reached the required number of signatures to be placed on the ballot.

A local option election was held in November 2016 for the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption in Graham, which passed with 53% of voters in favor of the measure. The new petition, filed Dec. 13, 2021, added an election measure for the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed beverages. The application for the petition required 10 or more registered voters within the city.

The committee filed a petition for a local option election with the city of Graham in December 2021, looking to add a measure for the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed beverages within the city limits to an upcoming election. The measure passed in the Saturday, May 7 election with 516 votes for and 397 votes against the proposition.

According to city council documents, the petition, which included 175 pages, was issued to the committee Dec. 17, 2021. The committee presented the petition with 1,024 signatures to the city Monday, Jan. 24. The city stated the Statistical Sampling Method was used from Friday, Jan. 28 through Tuesday, Feb. 1, to verify signatures as recommended by the Young County Elections Administrator. On Feb. 1, the city determined there were 1,003 valid signatures of the 1,024 signatures submitted. The committee needed 952 signatures, which is 35% of the 2020 gubernatorial election.

For the full story, see the Wednesday, May 11 edition of The Graham Leader.