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Posted by Susan Kelleher, Janet I. Tu and Jonathan Martin

In an apparent victory for gay rights supporters, voters seemed to be approving Referendum 71, which expands the state’s domestic partnership law.

The results, if they hold, would be a disappointment to religious conservatives, who had mounted an aggressive campaign against conferring additional benefits on committed gay couples and some senior couples.

Ref. 71 passed overwhelmingly in King County and was being voted up throughout the Puget Sound region. Voters in Eastern Washington, meanwhile, were rejecting the measure by wide margins — including in Spokane County.