Virginia state house race & balance of power hinged on 1 vot

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M-Quigley
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Virginia state house race & balance of power hinged on 1 vot

Post by M-Quigley »

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/vi ... 5565fce4f2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I
In the case of a tie in a House race, state law says the winner is chosen by lot – essentially, a coin toss.
James Alcorn, the chairman of the state board of elections, said the winner will likely be chosen by drawing a name out of a glass bowl. He said he is conferring with staff to figure out the date and method.

But it doesn’t end there. If the loser of the coin toss is unhappy with that result, he or she can seek a second recount.
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techmike
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Re: Virginia state house race & balance of power hinged on 1

Post by techmike »

I believe I saw a report that a judge threw out the deciding vote, and it is now tied.
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M-Quigley
Posts: 4782
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2015 10:06 pm
Location: Western Ohio

Re: Virginia state house race & balance of power hinged on 1

Post by M-Quigley »

techmike wrote:I believe I saw a report that a judge threw out the deciding vote, and it is now tied.
You saw correctly. This is mentioned in the link in the OP. The original link that I was going to post had said she won by 1 vote after the recount, but the appeals court disagreed, so the link in the OP is an update. (which explains why the title says "hinged" as in past tense.)

also
The turnaround shocked Democrats, who on social media were still celebrating their unlikely rise to power in the House of Delegates. Before the Nov. 7 elections, Republicans outnumbered Democrats in that chamber by 66 to 34. The GOP has a smaller, 21-to-19 edge in the state Senate, where ties votes can be broken by a Democratic lieutenant governor. With Democrat Ralph Northam set to take over as governor on Jan. 13, the party is primed to flex its newfound muscle.
“We are currently assessing all legal options before us as we fight for a just result,” said Marc Elias, the lawyer for the Democrats. “The Republicans themselves had affirmed that this result was accurate yesterday before changing their minds today.

“After conceding this seat and their majority, they are now desperately trying to claw both back ‘like a snarling dog that won’t let go of a bone,’ ” he said, quoting a recent editorial by the RichmondTimes-Dispatch.
Kenneth Mallory, a paid election official chosen by the Yancey team, had spotted the ballot about halfway through the Tuesday recount. He said he thought the ballot clearly looked like a vote for Yancey, but the other official he was working with — selected by Democrats — disagreed.
So this rep for the Republican side had a chance to object at the time, but caved because he allegedly felt pressure to just go along and not argue with the Democrat? :(
“I felt hurried to move on and proceed. I was new to this process, and I was caught up by his argument,” Mallory wrote in a letter to the judges outlining his concerns.
He wrote in his letter that he “lamented” his failure to act on the questionable ballot, and that he shared his misgivings with his wife and parents.
and that's not all for the potential balance of power.
And a recount is set for Thursday in Fredericksburg’s District 28, where the Republican leads by 82 votes. Democrats have also challenged that race in federal court, where they are seeking a new election because more than 100 voters were mistakenly given ballots for the wrong legislative district.
On another website it hinted that whatever the outcome of a coin toss or drawing names out of a bad (1 option mentioned) the losing side is going to contest the results. :roll:
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