At around 1:45pm today, outside a conference room at the Albemarle County Office Extension on Fifth Street, a group of about five people strategized while the Albemarle County Registrar’s Office was on lunch break. Among them were Rachel Schoenewald, wife of the County GOP Chair Christian Schoenewald, and Clara Belle Wheeler. The group discussed how best to challenge provisional ballots that were cast by people on election day but who had received absentee ballots.
“Think like a bad guy,” said one woman. The phrase “integrity of the process” was batted around as a way of discussing the objection.
All across the Fifth District, conversations like this are taking place as Republicans and Democrats fight over the hundreds of provisional ballots that will tilt the congressional race to either incumbent Republican Virgil Goode or his Democratic challenger, Tom Perriello.
Provisional ballots are those cast by people who showed up to the polls but faced some glitch. Perhaps they could not prove their identification. Perhaps they thought they were registered, but in fact were not. Or—possibly—they are fraudulent voters trying to cast a second or third ballot.
In Albemarle County, partisans are bickering over the fate of 80 provisional ballots. Particularly in a bluer locality like Albemarle, Democrats want more ballots to count, while Republicans want to keep out as many as possible.
Throughout the day, provisional ballot numbers are trickling in, and as they are added and glitches are smoothed out, the lead keeps changing in the vote count. As of this exact minute, Perriello has a 30-vote lead on Goode—a difference of 0.01 percent of the vote.
By the way, if you’re choosing whether to trust the numbers from the Virginia State Board of Elections or the Associated Press, which shows Goode up 436 votes, go with the State Board numbers.
“The most accurate and up to date numbers are on our website,” says James Alcorn, a Board of Elections official. “The local registrars and electoral boards add the latest numbers into our computer systems. It takes about three seconds before they’re up on our website.”
Almost certainly, the race appears headed for a recount, but the apparent losing candidate can’t ask for it until after the vote is certified on November 24.
To read C-VILLE’s extended profile on Perriello, click here.
