2017 Virginia HoD Thread

[SoLongAtlas]

Hugo now up in District 40 by 15 votes. Dept of Elections has updated the page and is reporting 100% http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2017%20November%20General/Site/Member%20House%20of%20Delegates%20(040).html

[SoLongAtlas]

So I checked the VA Elections Dept page again. They have the updated numbers for PW but still haven't updated the Ffx portion yet. VPAP has Tanner up at https://www.vpap.org/electionresults/election-8842/map/

[SoLongAtlas]

Ffx County just came in. Hugo has won by 115 votes. http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2017%20November%20General/Site/Member%20House%20of%20Delegates%20(040).html

[SoLongAtlas]

So why are VPap and SoS diverging here?

BTW, 100% chance of a recount here no doubt.

Do recounts in VA typically change the totals much?

Not much but there is the occasional schemery by the county parties that goes on. VA is notorious for recent recounts. Under VA law, recount is done if less than 1% or if the difference is not more than 50 votes. A candidate may also petition for a recount within 10 days. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title24.2/chapter8/section24.2-800/

[SoLongAtlas]

Posted in the other thread but relevant:

“Welcome to Venezuela,” Findlay (Executive Director for the RPV)said afterward. “This is how elections happen in Venezuela, Soviet Russia and now the commonwealth of Virginia. We don’t like the winners, we’re gonna have a new election.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/va-holds-off-certifying-tight-house-race-amid-new-claims-of-ballot-mix-ups/2017/11/20/780bf2a6-ce12-11e7-9d3a-bcbe2af58c3a_story.html

--

Also, a background on Cole (district affected by the misassigned ballot screwup) includes bathroom bills and anti-"Mark of the Beast" human implant bills.

[SoLongAtlas]

A bunch of Democrats trying to be populist heroes called for the new tolls on I-66 to be suspended.

Horrible. Congestion pricing is the way I-66 traffic gets better. Sad to see Democrats pander to people who work in D.C. but are too pretentious to take the Metro. I'm deeply disappointed in my Delegate-elect. Wulfric mode: I'll have revoke my endorsement of Jennifer Wexton until she stops these shenanigans.

This is the same thing as when Uber had the same problem with peak pricing and, after a backlash, announced a maximum 'peak' price.

It's really not the same. It is a cap vs. amount of traffic based fee, the latter of which was the compromise in order to get the funding issue passed by McDonnell. The traffic here is horrendous and the population expected to almost double within 20 years. It is unsustainable. The issue re this was I-66 which is a faster (albeit not by much) route alternative to the back ways to get to Arlington or D.C. I-95 is not as bad but still pretty bad. It takes me an hour or more to drive 20 miles one way, twice a day, to and from work. I-95 also has a severe backup issue in that for 20 miles or so it takes 2.5 hours or more due to SEVERE backup heading into Fredericksburg. VA thinks this can be solved by adding EZPass lanes that get clogged up themselves on occasion due to the sheer number of drivers, accidents, etc. That EZPass section won't be finished until at least 2022.

The solution is lane expansion (being done), capped prices (not being done due to the need for funding expansion via other means, i.e., taxes, which the HoD won't go for), and rail extension which, naturally the downstate folks won't pay for because BIG GUBMINT, EVIL UNIONS (they are doing extensions of WMATA out to Dulles but that still has taken decades and it is still not finished.

In short, it is a massive political and infrastructure CLFK, and population growth here isn't helping. You have to live and drive in NoVA in order to understand it fully. If you don't you won't truly grasp it.

[SoLongAtlas]

The solution is lane expansion (being done), capped prices (not being done due to the need for funding expansion via other means, i.e., taxes, which the HoD won't go for), and rail extension which, naturally the downstate folks won't pay for because BIG GUBMINT, EVIL UNIONS (they are doing extensions of WMATA out to Dulles but that still has taken decades and it is still not finished.

Sir, the WMATA expansion to Dulles broke ground in 2009 and will be done in 2020. Planned for decades prior to 2009, takes 11 years to finish, and way over budget. The US used to do this in a few years, even skyscrapers were planned and built in the early twentieth century in less time without high tech tools of today.Let's tone down the hyperbole. Also lol at the idea that the solution is lane expansion. Find out what induced demand is. They know what it is, increased population, not enough high density lanes, old bridges squeezing and backing up traffic to and from D.C.Yes, it is fine that an additional eastbound lane is being constructed inside the Beltway since it'll be consistent with the rest of the highway, but we don't need massive freeways cutting through beautiful Arlington County. Not everyone needs to drive, okay?Faulty logic, not including massive population growth and people that may move here in the coming decades thus necessitating freeways.

Anyways I was just angry that these vicious Democrats think they're doing something heroic by calling for the suspension of these tolls. This is useless virtue signaling, and hopefully they'll quit it once they're reminded they can't have free stuff.It's not about free stuff, it's about the fact the the DoT said the highest price would be $17 and not everyone that drives on 66 is so rich that they can piss away $40 bucks a day one way at the highest price range of the toll. They have said it may go even higher depending on the traffic on the given day.

[SoLongAtlas]

Vote lead is currently either Yancey +7 or +8, there may have been some kind of discrepancy.

https://twitter.com/JWPascale/status/943189555557097473

Yessss

Yancey is a Repub not a Dem

[SoLongAtlas]

The judges should NOT have counted this ballot. It is an overvote. Votes like these were rejected when I worked the polls in 2008. People need to follow directions and ask for a new ballot if mistakes are made. Clearly this voter didn't.

[SoLongAtlas]

Yancey was on Pascale's live stream as of a second ago (it just ended). They will certify the tie but it will be up to the Board of Elections to decide the method of the "lot" coin, straws, etc.

First tie in VA history.

[SoLongAtlas]

According the lawyer on the live stream, the VA rules that the panel were following were to utilize positive intent and try to count the ballot even though it was an overvote. Clearly, Virginia needs to add a definition into the code that establishes that demonstrable overvotes are not to be counted, intent or no, in determining a victor.

Voters need to follow damn directions.

[SoLongAtlas]

This just seems to be a matter of by-the-book vs. intent. I thought going by the book was the standard everyone used?

That is what I figured as well. It appears the VA rules are by intent and not a strict by the book rules interpretation of the electoral laws. That is a major flaw, imo. Voters should follow exact directions and if the ballot is an overvote, it should be discarded as such. I fault the poll workers here as well because they should have known that and had the voter revote with a fresh ballot.

[SoLongAtlas]

What the f*** just happened. Are Republicans so stupid that they can't fill out a ballot properly?

Yes they are. Also, for the record, all Virginia ballots have the rules in a box on the top of each ballot enumerated and plain as day. The judges should have taken that into consideration.

[SoLongAtlas]

Will Dems take this seat in 19?

Possibly. Maybe higher turnout due to Virginia having state senate elections in 2019 but I doubt it. Virginia turnout is always below 50% in non-presidential years.

[SoLongAtlas]

Wait is Simonds not appealing this? Why would she not appeal / get one more recount?

The lot draw was against her as well as the federal court judge the other day and, the sticking point, the HoD is seated on the 10th: there wouldn't be time for a second recount.