Virginia Recount Thread

[Jacobtm]

Well, this is almost definately going to happen. As of 2:31 Wednesday, November 8, here are the numbers, with 99.67% of precincts reporting:

Webb: 49.56% 1,169,373 votes
Allen: 49.24%  1,161,739 votes

If the race is within 1%, the loser can request a recount. If all the remaining votes go for either candidate, the race will still be within 1%. So, post all stories/news etc. about the Virginia Recount here.

[AuH2O]

I think they should do a recount, just due to the closeness, but Webb won. Allen should be a gentleman about it, despite the negativity of the campaign. Hard to blame Webb for taking advantage of Allen's own screwups.

[Eraserhead]

Webb won. Just call it.

[Gabu]

It's within Allen's legal right to call for a recount, but with a lead of nearly 8000... I really don't think he should.  Republicans from all over called Gore a sore loser for wanting to recount Florida, and that was a loss of like 0.01%.

[J. J.]

It's paid for by the state at 0.5% or about 13,700 votes.  The military absentee ballots have not yet been counted, either, and that could change the result.

I support either candidate asking for a recount.

[poughies]

Allen has the right and duty to ask for a recount...... but we all know that Webb has won.

[Jacobtm]

With this race likely to decide who controls the US senate, I cannot imagine that Republicans will simply bow out gentleman-like when the race is within .5%.

Any election that close deserves a recount.

[Ben.]

If MT goes to the GOP they'll probably be happy not to push to hard on this one... a recount would be likley but it wouldnt be pushed to endless re-runs... if they wind-up losing MT then i could see both VA and MT being fought over for weeks. 

[MODU]

6 precincts and an unknown number of absentee ballots left to be counted, with Webb still up by 8K votes.  I highly doubt Allen runs the table in the 6 precincts to make up the difference, so it will come down to the absentee ballots.  The two candidates won't clear the 1% margin, so it will definitely be a recount by default.  I expect to see an announcement of who won by the first week of December.

[Democratic Hawk]

I doubt very much a recount is gonna change the result. Last years, Attorney General race was closer still and nothing changed

Dave

[Verily]

I could understand Allen wanting a recount, but 8,000 votes is too many. Recounts only matter in races decided by less than 1,000 votes, like Florida in 2000 and Washington-gubernatorial in 2004. He should concede and spare the taxpayer expense.

[MODU]

I could understand Allen wanting a recount, but 8,000 votes is too many. Recounts only matter in races decided by less than 1,000 votes, like Florida in 2000 and Washington-gubernatorial in 2004. He should concede and spare the taxpayer expense.

Again, there are still 6 precincts and an unknown number of absentee ballots outstanding.  While the odds aren't good, it's close enough that there is the 8K votes needed to swing the election back to Allen.  If there were only 7K absentee ballots outstanding then I'm sure he was concede since there wouldn't be any way for him to win, but until we know how many there are, he's right to stay in the game.

[Nym90]

I could understand Allen wanting a recount, but 8,000 votes is too many. Recounts only matter in races decided by less than 1,000 votes, like Florida in 2000 and Washington-gubernatorial in 2004. He should concede and spare the taxpayer expense.

Again, there are still 6 precincts and an unknown number of absentee ballots outstanding.  While the odds aren't good, it's close enough that there is the 8K votes needed to swing the election back to Allen.  If there were only 7K absentee ballots outstanding then I'm sure he was concede since there wouldn't be any way for him to win, but until we know how many there are, he's right to stay in the game.

Well yes, he should at least wait until the absentee ballots are counted, but if he's still down by 7 or 8 thousand after that, I think a recount would be futile. However, it is his right to ask for one, and it can't hurt to make extra sure the results are correct.

Same with Montana, of course (though Burns down 2,000 there is about equivalent to an 8,000 vote margin in Virginia).

[Umengus]

what about absentee ballots? 1000 10 000 100 000? or more?

For his political career, he should have to ask a recount to stay in the political game and to say: "I have won but I'm the victim of plot". Like Al gore isn't it?

[MODU]

I could understand Allen wanting a recount, but 8,000 votes is too many. Recounts only matter in races decided by less than 1,000 votes, like Florida in 2000 and Washington-gubernatorial in 2004. He should concede and spare the taxpayer expense.

Again, there are still 6 precincts and an unknown number of absentee ballots outstanding.  While the odds aren't good, it's close enough that there is the 8K votes needed to swing the election back to Allen.  If there were only 7K absentee ballots outstanding then I'm sure he was concede since there wouldn't be any way for him to win, but until we know how many there are, he's right to stay in the game.

Well yes, he should at least wait until the absentee ballots are counted, but if he's still down by 7 or 8 thousand after that, I think a recount would be futile. However, it is his right to ask for one, and it can't hurt to make extra sure the results are correct.

I believe in VA, any election within 1% triggers an automatic recount.  I'll need to look that one up again.

[Nym90]

I could understand Allen wanting a recount, but 8,000 votes is too many. Recounts only matter in races decided by less than 1,000 votes, like Florida in 2000 and Washington-gubernatorial in 2004. He should concede and spare the taxpayer expense.

Again, there are still 6 precincts and an unknown number of absentee ballots outstanding.  While the odds aren't good, it's close enough that there is the 8K votes needed to swing the election back to Allen.  If there were only 7K absentee ballots outstanding then I'm sure he was concede since there wouldn't be any way for him to win, but until we know how many there are, he's right to stay in the game.

Well yes, he should at least wait until the absentee ballots are counted, but if he's still down by 7 or 8 thousand after that, I think a recount would be futile. However, it is his right to ask for one, and it can't hurt to make extra sure the results are correct.

I believe in VA, any election within 1% triggers an automatic recount.  I'll need to look that one up again.

CNN made it sound like Allen would be entitled to a state paid recount if it's less than 1 percent, but he would have to request one after the vote is certified November 27. I think it would require him to request one, so whether he does that or not would presumably depend on the margin. I have no problem with him calling for one; I promise not to call him sore loserman or anything like that.

[Ben.]

CNN made it sound like Allen would be entitled to a state paid recount if it's less than 1 percent, but he would have to request one after the vote is certified November 27. I think it would require him to request one, so whether he does that or not would presumably depend on the margin. I have no problem with him calling for one; I promise not to call him sore loserman or anything like that.

Neither do i, if a race is very close and the Republican is on the wrong side of the result they have every right to request a recount, as would a Democrat in an opposing situation... that said Webb looks to have pretty much won this a recount wouldnt do all that much IMHO, it's a shame Warner didnt run it would have been very good to have him in the Senate.

[MODU]

With three precincts remaining to be counted (1 in a pro-Allen district, 2 in a pro-Webb district), and an unknown of absentee/provisional ballots remaining, Webb's lead has slipped to 7300 votes.

[skybridge]

I hope Allen calls for a recount. He'll lose and seal his presidential ambitions once and for all.

[Nym90]

With three precincts remaining to be counted (1 in a pro-Allen district, 2 in a pro-Webb district), and an unknown of absentee/provisional ballots remaining, Webb's lead has slipped to 7300 votes.

I was under the impression absentees have already been counted in this total. Would be good to know for sure on this though.

[J. J.]

With three precincts remaining to be counted (1 in a pro-Allen district, 2 in a pro-Webb district), and an unknown of absentee/provisional ballots remaining, Webb's lead has slipped to 7300 votes.

I was under the impression absentees have already been counted in this total. Would be good to know for sure on this though.

The military and provisional ballots have not been counted; I'm not sure about the civilian absentees.  The question is if the Allen campaign emphasised the absentee ballots.

Also, you can get tabulation errors that go either way.  Webb's lead is now 6,708, some of that is tabulation errors.

[Nym90]

With three precincts remaining to be counted (1 in a pro-Allen district, 2 in a pro-Webb district), and an unknown of absentee/provisional ballots remaining, Webb's lead has slipped to 7300 votes.

I was under the impression absentees have already been counted in this total. Would be good to know for sure on this though.

The military and provisional ballots have not been counted; I'm not sure about the civilian absentees.  The question is if the Allen campaign emphasised the absentee ballots.

Also, you can get tabulation errors that go either way.  Webb's lead is now 6,708, some of that is tabulation errors.

Well the military absentees will help Allen (though I would assume President Reagan's Secretary of the Navy did better than most Democrats with military voters). I doubt there are as many as 10,000 of those statewide though, which is probably how many there would have to be for there to be any even remote chance for Allen to come back (that would be even assuming Allen can win them 2 to 1).

[MODU]

I just looked at the Virginia figures, and they are now showing there are 141 precincts left to report their figures.    Maybe they are revising the earlier numbers?

"VA Board of Elections website"

It still shows Webb with a 7300 vote lead. 

[J. J.]

With three precincts remaining to be counted (1 in a pro-Allen district, 2 in a pro-Webb district), and an unknown of absentee/provisional ballots remaining, Webb's lead has slipped to 7300 votes.

I was under the impression absentees have already been counted in this total. Would be good to know for sure on this though.

The military and provisional ballots have not been counted; I'm not sure about the civilian absentees.  The question is if the Allen campaign emphasised the absentee ballots.

Also, you can get tabulation errors that go either way.  Webb's lead is now 6,708, some of that is tabulation errors.

Well the military absentees will help Allen (though I would assume President Reagan's Secretary of the Navy did better than most Democrats with military voters). I doubt there are as many as 10,000 of those statewide though, which is probably how many there would have to be for there to be any even remote chance for Allen to come back (that would be even assuming Allen can win them 2 to 1).

I'm not sure what the absentees look like, or if there was an Allen effort there.  You have 5 "forts," Norfolk, the Pentagon.  No telling howmany are registered there and are deployed, how many voted, and who they voted for.

[poughies]

Look Allen can ask for a recount it is his right..... but unless something weird happens, say hello to Senator Webb.