Watching the shifting margin of votes in the attorney general race has become an excruciating game for many Creigh Deeds supporters. Now, as the election moves towards certification on Monday, the actual time of the recount is moving close at hand. At that point, the tight margin?currently 323 votes?virtually assures a recount. This count is the closest ever in Virginia for a statewide office.On December 6, the chief judge of Richmond Circuit Court will call two other judges (appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court) to form a panel to supervise the recount. Once the three-judge panel convenes, new rules may get thrown on the table, in order to make the recount work better than the general election. Ultimately, the panel will serve as final arbiters of the election results.
Soon after this, the recount will likely take place. At this point, Senator Deeds will need supporters to observe and witness the recalculation of the vote results.
Election procedures vary from county to county. In particular, the greatest need is in lesser-populated counties, where electoral boards are frequently poorly staffed and counting procedures lack redundancy steps. These counties are the point of largest need for poll observers, since they present the most likely circumstances for simple errors such as addition mistakes and non-sequential counting problems.
Seasoned electoral experts express the most concern over recounting paper ballots cast either for provisional or absentee votes, since the effort will involve the greatest degree of subjectivity and the greatest potential for error. Electronic votes are more easily validated, however, there will be concern that results are recorded accurately and added together appropriately.
There are several ways you can support the recount effort. First, if you can make yourself available, do volunteer. To volunteer, contact Mark Bergman at mark@vademocrats.org. Recount observers are especially needed in less populated and rural counties?if you know anyone who is resident in these locations, please urge them to volunteer, since their participation will be most critical.
Second, any donations to support the legal support fund will be greatly appreciated. While the state will cover recounting efforts (due to the close margin), providing an effective legal team will be expensive. Please join me in donating to this effort, by clicking here.
Please give whatever support or volunteer effort you can during this critical time. Senator Deeds has a proven record of initiating and supporting critical child protection legislation. He alone is dedicated to stopping the legacy of judicial favoritism of past Republican attorney generals that stymied rightful cases from ever appearing in court and allowed gang violence and methamphetamine activities to overwhelm our state. In addition, Deeds is dedicated to supporting a woman?s right to choose. Beyond this, there is one final testament to Creigh Deeds that sets him apart from his competitor.
It is integrity.
Anyone who has met Senator Deeds can attest to this. Everyone who has met him always says the same thing: Creigh is a great guy, the kind of person who immediately shows that he?s trustworthy and honest. He ran a clean campaign, never misrepresented his opponent or took money from undisclosed sources. The same cannot be said of Bob McDonnell.
That?s why it?s critical that we all do whatever we can to make sure that this election is fairly counted. So, please pitch in, help harness a fair election throughout the state!