RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A three-judge panel has rejected a request to reconsider its ruling on a recount in an election that could determine partisan control of the Virginia House.
The panel on Wednesday denied Democrat Shelly Simonds’ request to undo its decision to strip her of a one-vote victory she won after a dramatic recount of November’s election.
Her lawyers had argued that the judges committed legal errors, including counting a ballot for her Republican opponent after the recount ended.
Virginia elections officials plan to meet Thursday to randomly pick a winner in the contest.
If Simonds wins, the partisan split will be 50-50. If incumbent Del. David Yancey wins, Republicans will have a 51-49 majority.
The Newport News seat is not the only contested race. Democrats have filed a legal challenge in a close Fredericksburg-area race.
They won’t admit they’re wrong even when everybody knows they only ruled this way in homage to their party.
I surely hope there’s a remedy to this electoral jerking around.
Is there an appeal right? This decision was so clearly contrary to the statute, I cannot imagine it holding up on appellate review.
Republican Judges Deny Democrat’s Request To Reconsider Tie In Virginia House Race
FIFY
Shameless.
The GOP-appointed judges allowed a violation of procedure, ignored common sense and official VA Dept. of Elections guidance on counting votes in hand recounts, and then get to make it all official by judging that they didn’t make an error.
November 2018 approaches. 2017 was about resistance. 2018 is about rising.
By VA Law, no appeal.
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title24.2/chapter8/section24.2-802/
The voters intent seems pretty clear that they wanted a Republican, but as you say this was such a blatant case of an invalid ballot that the judicial decision was clearly purely political. 100% invalid ballot.