An important meeting in Richmond is underway right now (1:28 pm) to determine the final vote count for Attorney General of Virginia. Updates below via CBS6 TV reporter Joe St. George (and others, if available). Note that as the meeting begins, Democrat Mark Herring trails Republican Mark Obenshain by just 17 votes out of over 2.2 million cast. Richmond, a heavily Democratic city, is of course crucial (as is Fairfax County, which will be finalized tomorrow).
UPDATE 8:22 pm: @JulieCareyNBC tweeted an hour ago: “#Fairfax Co. Electoral Bd accepts 172 provisional ballots, rejected 138 w/ 183 left to review. Will know tmrw which #VAAG candidates benefit.”
UPDATE 8:07 pm: The Virginia State Board of Elections website has been updated, and Democrat Mark Herring now leads by 117 votes over Republican Mark Obenshain. 🙂
UPDATE 4:09 pm by Joe St. George: “Don’t expect the state board website to be updated for several hours….”
UPDATE 2:56 pm by Joe St. George: “Obenshain lawyers want Richmond to hold off on certifying results till they see poll books”
UPDATES 2:40 pm by Joe St. George: “More precincts will be looked at now….908 504 707 602 606 213 701 510 702 and 706. Request made by GOP” No changes so far. Also, “Obenshain lawyers huddling in corner.” LOL
UPDATE 2:38 pm: Just posted photo by @JoeStGeorge of “@clarkmercerva, political director for democrats next to @ashleybauman also from dem party” in Richmond.
UPDATE 2:35 pm by Joe St. George: “Richmond City’s GOP-requested recanvass of 8 precincts could not have gone much worse for Obenshain (R).”
UPDATE 2:26 pm by Joe St. George: “So far no changes from election night for 908”
UPDATE 2:23 pm by Laura Vozzella (@LVozzella) of the Washington Post: “Richmond electoral board announces it will review 9 more precincts at request of city GOP in #vaagrace. That’s on top of eight others.”
UPDATE 2:22 pm by Dave Wasserman: “By my math, Herring (D) has taken #VAAG lead over Obenshain (R) by 115 votes”
UPDATE 2:19 pm by Joe St. George: “This has been a very good meeting if you are a Herring supporter”
UPDATE 2:17 pm: @EdSykes29 of NBC 29 tweets, “Current tally from Dem lawyers show @SenMarkHerring has picked up ~135 votes so far in Richmond today. Entered day down 17”
UPDATE 2:15 pm by Joe St. George: “802 pricint: 563 for herring 24 for Obenshain #vaag”
UPDATE 2:11 pm by Joe St. George: “Pricint 802 up next”
UPDATE 2:08 pm by Dave Wasserman: “Richmond 607 voted 671-227 for Obama in ’12. Current @VirginiaSBE tally of 377 H 101 O seems highly plausible. #VAAG” And Joe St. George tweets, “Dem lawyers believe they picked up 6 from pricint 607.”
UPDATE 2:06 pm by Joe St. George: “607: herring 386 Obenshain 104.”
UPDATE 2:00 pm by Joe St. George: “One vote in 607 was cancelled. One voter walked away from booth without hitting submit”
UPDATE 1:57 pm by Dave Wasserman: “Previously uncounted paper ballot in Richmond 603 gives Herring (D) another vote. His #VAAG lead has expanded to exactly 100”
UPDATE 1:54 pm by Dave Wasserman: “Credit to my sources who first flagged 190 missing Richmond 501 votes the day after the election – turned out to be right.”
UPDATE 1:51 pm: Loudoun County Democratic Committee Chair Evan Macbeth (@Paradox13VA) tweets: “‘I didn’t vote, my vote doesn’t really matter,’ should say nobody.” Agreed!
UPDATE 1:48 pm by Dave Wasserman: “By my math, new statewide totals in #VAAG: Herring (D) 1,103,579, Obenshain (R) 1,103,480 #ShockoeSlipUp”
UPDATE 1:47 pm by Joe St. George: “Dem lawyers confirming Herring will take the lead after 501 machine is counted….#vaag”
UPDATE 1:43 pm by Dave Wasserman: “BREAKING: #ShockoeSlipUp gives Herring (D) #VAAG lead by 99 votes.” 🙂
UPDATE 1:40 pm by Joe St. George: “Herring total from 501 is 983. Obenshain total from 501 is 181.” Dave Wasserman adds: “WHOA. #ShockoeSlipUp may be real>> RT @JoeStGeorge 501. One of the machine was not pulled into original tally. Machine #3791.”
UPDATE 1:33 pm by Joe St. George: “501 up next. Lot of controversy over social media about this on… One of the machine was not pulled into original tally. Machine #3791.” This is the big one.
UPDATE 1:32 pm by Joe St. George: “Princt 402 herring 1124 Obenshain 534. No changes from election night”
UPDATES 1:30 pm by Joe St. George: “Princint 112 herring 425 Obenshain 303. No changes in this pricint from election night.” “Pricint 204 has a descripency in the check in vs poll vote 1084-1085.” “Pricint 204 count: herring 788 Obenshain 269. No corrections from election night. Discrepancy seems to stem from human error.” “Pricint 402 up next.”