Virginia elected a new House of Delegates on November 7, 2017. The initial results in the 94th district were: Republican David Yancey 11,601; Democrat Shelly A. Simonds 11,591; Libertarian Michael D. Bartley 675.
The recount was completed on November 19. The new results reverse the identity of the winner. News reports say that both major party nominees gained votes, and the new results are: Democratic 11,608; Republican 11,607. The news stories do not say if the Libertarian vote total changed. For example, see this story.
As a result of the recount, the lineup in the 2018-2019 session of the House will be 50 Republicans, 50 Democrats. The two parties will probably agree to share leadership of the House. Thanks to several people for the link.
UNEQUAL votes for all the gerrymander district winners.
UNEQUAL total votes in all the gerrymander districts.
Almost 400 years of gerrymanders in the VA regime —
since 1618 — plantation districts along the James River near Jamestown, VA.
PR and AppV
One should consider whether Delegate-Elect Lee Carter would have been afforded the partisan legal team that pushed for more than just the automatic recount as happened here in the 94th district. The one vote victory deserves an asterisk here for that reason.
Sure he would have. When there is a claimed 50-50 split in the House of Delegates, there is no asterisk that says 50*-50 * Socialist who caucuses with Democrats.
The swing in HD-50 was unremarkable.
Elephant gerrymander monsters will have to increase their percentage packing of Donkeys —
ie got greedy in VA to win too many *marginal* districts with lower percentages.
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PR and AppV
The recount allows the Democrats to win by one vote, but the Libertarian votes are not reported. Very suspicious.
BREAKING NEWS.
One ballot that was apparently thrown out as an overvote was let back in and ruled a vote for Yancey. The race is back to being tied.
http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-news/dp-nws-94th-district-judge-certification-20171220-story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/court-tosses-out-one-vote-victory-in-recount-that-had-briefly-ended-a-republican-majority-in-virginia/2017/12/20/ed979a70-e5b9-11e7-a65d-1ac0fd7f097e_story.html?utm_term=.e9d54ba5acb1
It has now been determined that the vote is tied.
@WZ
The recount was conducted by election officials, but under jurisdiction of a three judge panel. I presume that their court order will include all vote counts. The media articles were indifferent to the Libertarian candidate.
Any tie-breaker LAW in VA ???
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title24.2/chapter6/section24.2-674/
VA tie-breaker section
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/court-tosses-out-one-vote-victory-in-recount-that-had-briefly-ended-a-republican-majority-in-virginia/2017/12/20/ed979a70-e5b9-11e7-a65d-1ac0fd7f097e_story.html
the ONE vote mess.
If Simonds voters hadn’t wasted their vote, and voted for Bartley, they could have ensured Yancey’s defeat.
If Yancey’s voters hadn’t wasted their vote and voted for Bartley, they could have ensured Simond’s defeat.
A single questionable provisional ballot can actually look better in a few hours time if the relevancy of it becomes certain. Partisan will can accomplish such things. Judges are local human beings. The system is a sham.
If ALL voters hadn’t wasted their votes and voted for a Donkey/Elephant control freak STATIST, they could have some more freedom.
PR and AppV
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/12/20/race-virginia-state-house-now-tied-winner-randomly-selected/970768001/
Approx what THE ballot looks like.
How soon before it magically disappears ???