The court-supervised recount in Virginia’s HD-94, where Democrat Shelly Simonds trailed Republican incumbent Del. David Yancey by just 10 votes after election day, began at 8 am this morning. Currently, Democrats have 49 seats and Republicans have 51, so if we flip HD-94, we’re at 50-50 in the House of Delegates and some sort of negotiated power-sharing arrangement. So…as Joe Biden might say, this is a big f’ing deal! LOL Please use this as an open thread to post anything you’re hearing. I’ll update as I get information. Thanks.
P.S. Note that there are 24 precincts in HD-94.
INBOX: Virginia House Republicans concede they lost their majority. Statement from leadership: pic.twitter.com/2cFguDE0tV
— Fenit Nirappil (@FenitN) December 19, 2017
Simonds here live https://t.co/xkPiHC0Y6x
— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
No contested ballots.
Judge panel will look at it tomorrow.— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
Recount unofficial results: Simonds has 11608, Yancey has 11607. Simonds is the unofficial winner.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
Got to recognize @NextGenAmerica for their focus on college campuses- it tipped two other House seats before today, and their work at CNU in Newport News brought in a few hundred votes in an election won by one.
— (((Ben Tribbett))) (@notlarrysabato) December 19, 2017
Talking to @shelly_simonds now, who says she’s still waiting for official confirmation from registrar even as @VAHouseDems declare victory. She’s purposefully stayed off Twitter
“I may become Landslide Shelly. As long as they call me delegate, I’m ok with it” https://t.co/1EuQEvLRX6
— Fenit Nirappil (@FenitN) December 19, 2017
I can’t independently verify that this is true. We’re all still waiting over here in the recount room. Registrar is in a back room. https://t.co/WBawWVRFAJ
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
CAN NOW CONFIRM SHELLY SIMONDS (D) WILL WIN BY ONE VOTE IF JUDGES CERTIFY RESULTS AS RECOUNTED TODAY. House of Delegates 50-50
— (((Ben Tribbett))) (@notlarrysabato) December 19, 2017
50 Democrats! https://t.co/x63FY5gWfm
— David J. Toscano (@deltoscano) December 19, 2017
In the absentees, Yancey and Simonds each picked up one vote. Simonds’ one-vote lead remains.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
.@shelly_simonds WINS BY ONE VOTE! #GAMEONVA #VAGOV
— VA House Democrats (@VAHouseDems) December 19, 2017
Everything is now done and the registrar is adding up totals…
— (((Ben Tribbett))) (@notlarrysabato) December 19, 2017
Gonna be a few minutes here for election officials to get ducks in a row.
I’m going to be real careful not to tweet anything concrete until they are on the same page.
Little communication from them right now as they work.
Patience, plz.— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
And do not forget, nothing is official until the three-judge panel certifies it. We’re about to go through absentee and provisional ballots, so stay tuned.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
Kinda waiting for official word. Here’s the board. pic.twitter.com/xn1GKUXAYe
— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
Last precinct, Watkins, was just recorded as one vote for Simonds. She is now ahead by one vote, and all the reporters in here had to check to make sure their math was correct.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
With only absentee left, Simonds up by 1
— Greg Schneider (@SchneiderG) December 19, 2017
Dems now telling me they believe they have taken the lead by ONE vote if challenges go as expected with absentees left to recount. Everyone though is double checking math.
— (((Ben Tribbett))) (@notlarrysabato) December 19, 2017
Nope – they changed it – Simonds down by 1
— Greg Schneider (@SchneiderG) December 19, 2017
Simonds picks up two votes in the Sedgefield precinct. Yancey up by just one vote now. We have one precinct to go, then absentees.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
We’re tied. pic.twitter.com/lLTuWWg7Ee
— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
So what I am hearing now is it is Yancey +2, with 2 Simonds ballots challenged before the judges- that is where the tie number is coming from at this moment.
— (((Ben Tribbett))) (@notlarrysabato) December 19, 2017
Two precincts left – Yancey is up by 3 votes
— Greg Schneider (@SchneiderG) December 19, 2017
Have now confirmed the challenged ballot makes it TWO vote margin.
— (((Ben Tribbett))) (@notlarrysabato) December 19, 2017
Lawyers for the Dems and Republicans got into a brief shouting match just now over whether an observer can talk. It got broken up; not sure a consensus was reached.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
Simonds has picked up two votes in the Riverview precinct. Yancey now up by 4 votes.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
MARGIN IS NOW DOWN TO THREE VOTES WITH FIVE PRECINCTS TO GO! (Sorry for all caps but I think this warrants it).
— (((Ben Tribbett))) (@notlarrysabato) December 19, 2017
The latest whiteboard pic, y’all. pic.twitter.com/4koeKV04yp
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
OK, Simonds picks up two votes and Yancey gets one. With 5 precincts left, Yancey is ahead by six votes.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
Chances for Simonds starting to slip away as we’re down to only 5 precincts left.
She is still down 6 votes pic.twitter.com/9Bv8oX1MOg— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
Apparently an earlier glitch cost Yancey that first vote pickup in Wellesley. The latest is that Yancey and Simonds have each picked up a vote in separate precincts. Still a 7-vote margin with ten precincts to go.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
Dems probably need at least 30 votes in play to have a chance to net 10- right now we are not on pace for that, but one precinct could change things…
— (((Ben Tribbett))) (@notlarrysabato) December 19, 2017
FWIW, election officials say all the ballots read by hand have been pretty clear and straight forward.
No disagreements between campaigns yet.— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
Margin is at 7 with 10 precincts to go.
Here’s the latest on the big board. pic.twitter.com/xPISIf95LJ— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
10 votes have changed hands so far- +6 for D’s and +4 for R’s. This holds with what I noted last week- new machines have much lower error rate than old machines.
— (((Ben Tribbett))) (@notlarrysabato) December 19, 2017
Margin is at 7 https://t.co/KSatAbWOFS
— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
Yancey picked up three votes in the Hidenwood precinct, 11th one counted.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
Shelly Simonds just stopped by the recount and said she’s staying optimistic. https://t.co/NfXhJeFw5r pic.twitter.com/q5J9rnaNcW
— Brendan Ponton (@brendanponton) December 19, 2017
Shelly Simonds is here for the recount. https://t.co/SrxylMGIb9
— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
They’re gonna break for lunch here shortly.
Margin remains at 5.
10 of 24 precincts complete.— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
Another vote for Simonds and then first pick-up for Yancey, both in the Wellesley precinct. Ten precincts counted so far. Unofficially, this means Yancey is still ahead by five votes.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
Four precincts have been counted. Simonds has picked up four votes: 2 in Denbigh, 1 in Epes and 1 in Reservoir. Of course, these are still considered “unofficial.” pic.twitter.com/5lquOYFXfv
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
And this is going to take us into the early evening, possibly past 5 p.m.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
High-speed machines are counting the ballots in 24 precincts. These teams will hand-count between 200-250 irregular votes (write-ins, overvotes and undervotes). Most are undervotes, according to an election official.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
First box of ballots produced 2 pickups for Simonds, so the margin is 8 votes – but a long way to go! It’ll surely change.
— Greg Schneider (@SchneiderG) December 19, 2017
The teams have assembled. Recount has officially started. We’re running about 45 minutes behind. pic.twitter.com/KwvfZ9s4Cm
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
Getting started on the recount. Officials explain how it’s going to work. https://t.co/zJ8PYfk7wB
— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) December 19, 2017
