Virginia officials threaten to reject election results

In Virginia, a pair of Republican election officials are threatening not to certify the November general election results, claiming the process goes against the state’s constitution. Two members of Waynesboro’s Board of Elections filed a lawsuit alleging the machine that tallies ballots does so in “secret,” which they argue is prohibited by Virginia’s Constitution.

Waynesboro City Board of Elections Chair Curtis Lilly and Vice Chair Scott Mares sued Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals and State Board of Elections Chair John O’Bannon.

Lilly and Mares said they cannot verify:

• The voting machine program being used to count the ballots is keeping a true and accurate count.
• The voting machine program being used to count the ballots is recording the true and accurate count.
• The voting machine record tape accurately represents the ballots cast.

They argued that because neither the program counting the votes nor the ballots can be examined, the count is being done in secret, which they say violates the state constitution.

Article Two, Section Three of Virginia’s Constitution states: “Secrecy in casting votes shall be maintained, except as provision may be made for assistance to handicapped voters, but the ballot box or voting machine shall be kept in public view and shall not be opened, nor the ballots canvassed nor the votes counted, in secret.”

Lilly and Mares also allege that because they are prohibited from evaluating the voting machines, there’s no way to ensure it is not hooked up to the internet, which could allow someone to alter the results.

They say in their suit certifying the election “under the current legal and administrative regime, therefore, would be a violation of their oaths of office, and, absent court intervention, shall refuse to certify the 2024 election.”

Straight Arrow News reached out to Virginia’s Department of Elections for comment on the lawsuit. “The Virginia Department of Elections does not comment on pending litigation,” a media relations specialist with the Virginia Department of Elections said.