My first Recount, a "Heady Experience"

A "day in the political trenches" with the Augusta "GOP Volunteers"... The Battleground: Augusta County CH, the battle: McDonnell Recount. Results: No change in Augusta County Vote.

The scene was impressive, Susan Miller, Registrar Augusta County, dressed in a Red Christmas Blazer, (in lieu of a Black & White Referee's jersey) and the 6 election Officers, one each Dem & Pub paired at the three tables set up in Courtroom B 2nd Floor of the Augusta County Court House. Behind each of the tables was one Dem & Pub "observer" (Team Augusta (Lynn Mitchell, vice chair Augusta GOP, Dr Larry Roller, Treasurer, Augusta GOP, RightsideVA, (volunteer), and SpankThatDonkey (volunteer) alternating, as a call to the "McDonnell Hot line" or break in general warranted, as we proceeded to recount all 26 county precincts in the AG election Recount.

What a "Thrill" being a participant in this process. As a first time participant, it's disorienting to figure out "What is going on"!!! You're looking at the Officers, count each voter checked off the "poll count" (voters are numbered one (1) through the last voter as they vote on the overall list of eligible voters for each precinct) and then compare that to the actual "Machine Count" (the total reported as voters by the machine). Discrepancies arise, such as in the "Cedar Green precinct" where the "poll count was 585 (officers checked off 585 voters coming in to vote, but the machine count was 586.

You wait, in trepidation to see how this is "handled by the registrar, the "recount officials", Ruth Talmedge, Chair Augusta County Electoral Board (Pub), Lionel Moomau, Secretary Augusta County Electoral Board (Dem), along with the two observers at the table, Bob Dickerman, Volunteer (Dem), and SpankThatDonkey (Pub). The officers discuss the discrepancy, to the eager ears of Dickerman and SpankTheDonkey, while Moomau "wades in", stating that State Law "recognizes the "machine count over the poll count"... because a poll worker (officer) probably did not check off the numbered boxes for each voter as they came in to vote.

Dickerman and SpankThatDonkey look at each other in agreement, and the count proceeds, both parties satisifed. The Unofficial vote count for each candidate corresponds to the "tapes" from the machines, is recorded on the forms, shown to all, signed, sealed and delivered to the Registrar. The vote hasn't changed for McDonnell or Deeds, on to the next Precinct.

The most dramatic part of the day revolved around the specfic instructions given by the Registrar to the election officers reviewing the Spotswood Precinct. "Please slowly count these ballots, separated by their votes for AG so that your observers can clearly hear, and see the results (my paraphrasing). The officer slowly verified by looking at the bottom of the ballots, and slowly counted, one... two.. three... etc.

So went the 49 hand counted paper ballots that were necessary due to a voting machine break down at the Spottswood precinct on election day, which leads to my next post......

The Working Men & Women Vote Republican!!!!! that is Highlighted by a totally random breakdown of the voting machines from 5:45 to 6:45 PM at the Spottswood Precinct in Augusta County, VA.

But first lets look at the:

The Big Picture Spotswood Precinct, Augusta County, VA:

Total Registered to vote in the precinct 969.
Total Voted 483 (48% turnout)

Breakdown per candidate:
Goveronor (50% turnout)
Kilgore 299
Kaine 170
Potts 12
Vote total 481 equals undervote two (2) (Get it?) 483 cast votes but only 481 votes for Gov.

Lt Gov. (49% turnout)
Bill Bolling 322
Leslie Byrne 150
Vote total 472 or undervote of eleven (11) 483 voters 472 voted for Lt. Gov. candidates

AG (48% turnout)
Bob McDonnell 264
Creigh Deeds 205
Vote Total 469 or undervote of fourteen (14)

We will get to "examine" these numbers in depth and examine the cross voting, which was witnessed in the paper ballots, clearly and not just "supposed" by the pundits....