I just got off a call (audio below) with Democratic veterans Delegate John Bell, Delegate Marcus Simon, Delegate-elect Lee Carter and Delegate-elect David Reid, along with DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker; Chair of the Veterans and Military Families Caucus of the DPVA Terron Sims; and veteran Carlos Del Toro in calling for Gloria Chittum and Marie Gozzi of the Stafford County Electoral Board to Count a Reported 55 Absentee Ballots of Military Voters. Regarding the military voters, apparently their ballots arrived at the Electoral Board’s P.O. Box on Tuesday (Election Day), but were not picked up until Wednesday (!). And on that “technicality,” the Stafford County Electoral Board apparently is claiming that the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to defend – among other things – our right to vote are NOT being allowed to vote in this election! Is this outrageous or what, especially on Veterans Day weekend?
As if that’s not bad enough, on the call, it was noted that the Stafford County Electoral Board is ALSO refusing to release the list of provisional ballots, which basically every other local Virginia Electoral Board does routinely, and which is what they’re supposed to do.
By the way, as was repeated over and over again in the call, Democrats have NO IDEA which candidate (Democratic Joshua Cole or Republican Bob Thomas) these ballots will benefit, but that regardless, they should be counted. I couldn’t agree more.
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