Virginia Republicans changing vote-counting rules while counting votes

[gollygee]

http://m.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/11/virginia-voter-id-attorney-general-obenshain-herring

The race to become Virginia's next attorney general remains in flux nearly a week after election day. Republican Mark Obenshain led Democrat Mark Herring by a little over 1,000 votes the day after the election, but that advantage whittled away to a toss-up as more exact results came in over the following days. Obenshain leads Herring by a scant 17 votes—out of over 2 million total—as of Monday morning, according to results posted on Virginia's Board of Elections website. A recount is a certainty.

Legal wrangling is a given during any recount, but Virginia Republicans got off to an early start over the weekend, potentially exploiting the state's new voter ID law to cast aside likely Democratic votes.

The vast majority of Virginia's votes had already been tabulated by the end of last week, but a swath remains outstanding in parts of Fairfax County, a string of DC suburbs in Northern Virginia. Fairfax is still tallying provisional ballots—disputed votes that were set aside on Election Day. Virginia introduced a new strict-photo ID requirement for the 2014 election; voters who lacked proper identification on Election Day could cast a provisional ballot to be assessed later. Fairfax county had previously allowed a lawyer or authorized representative to advocate on behalf of counting a provisional ballot during hearings to assess those votes. But on Friday, the Republican-controlled state Board of Elections sent a memo to the county ordering an end to this practice, shifting the rules after the election and midway through counting the votes.

[BlueToTheBone]

1. The only way they can ever win is to cheat lie and steal.

Those are republican values. I hope the courts stand up to the bullies and stop the theft of the election.

[yeoman6987]

3. Cheating Republicans

Well except New Jersey where the Republicans coasted to victory which is still a mystery and stings like hell.

[BlueToTheBone]

4. Christi set that up so there wouldn't be any opposition votes

He split the senate and the governor's race so that he would win. Another way to cheat.

[mazzarro]

2. And what is the state Democratic Party doing about this? --- n/t

[gollygee]

5. Good point

Democrats don't respond very strongly to this kind of thing, and it is enabling to ignore it.

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

8. Actually Democrats and at least one honest Republican are doing a LOT

Follow the minute-by-minute changes on Twitter - @Redistrict.

Dave Wasserman and others are doing an amazing job keeping us all informed.

GOP challenge requests have just netted more votes for Democrat Mark Herring who now unofficially leads.

Dave Wasserman ‏@Redistrict 12m
By my math, Herring (D) has taken #VAAG lead over Obenshain (R) by 115 votes: https://docs.google.com/a/cookpolitical.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvOrrxBeaarVdGhvNWZZN2UzUVY1bDVoYW83bWszM1E&usp=drive_web#gid=0 … #ShockoeSlipUp

Dave Wasserman ‏@Redistrict 13m
All the rumored Richmond "errors" sources added to our spreadsheet days ago turned out to be true: #ShockoeSlipUp https://docs.google.com/a/cookpolitical.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvOrrxBeaarVdGhvNWZZN2UzUVY1bDVoYW83bWszM1E&usp=drive_web#gid=0 …

Dave Wasserman ‏@Redistrict 17m
Wow, Herring (D) gains 9 more RT @JoeStGeorge 802 pricint: 563 for herring 24 for Obenshain #vaag

Ryan Nobles ‏@ryanobles 20m
Last gasp of hope for Rs is 802.. Registrar calls the situation "unique". #vaag

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

9. And a bit more...

Dave Wasserman ‏@Redistrict 5m
Dems note that 2 of 3 members of Richmond City's electoral board are, in fact, GOP. #ShockoeSlipUp #VAAG

Dave Wasserman ‏@Redistrict 8m
Big props to #RVA's @Ryanobles of @NBC12 & @JoeStGeorge of @CBS6 for covering developments at scene of #ShockoeSlipUp w/ laser speed. #VAAG

Dave Wasserman ‏@Redistrict 10m
Richmond City's GOP-requested recanvass of 8 precincts could not have gone much worse for Obenshain (R). #ShockoeSlipUp #VAAG

[freshwest]

6. They won't be satisfied until they get their 3/5ths gig restored...

[billh58]

7. Well, they took

notes from Florida 2000 and Katherine Harris, and can count on a politically biased SCOTUS. As reportedly stated by Joseph Stalin:

"You know, comrades," says Stalin, "that I think in regard to this: I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how."

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/dubiousquotes/a/stalin_quote.htm

[Faryn Balyncd]

10. Republicans hate America.

[Chan790]

11. ...and still losing.

As of now, Herring is up by 115 votes and the one large pool of outstanding votes before the recount is Ffx provisionals. Mark Obenshain isn't picking up a net-gain of 116 votes in the largest and one of the most Democratic counties in Virginia.