As incumbent Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly’s lead over Republican challenger Keith Fimian grows in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, Anthony Bedell, chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Committee, is raising questions about Election Day problems in several precincts that he said “may call into question the accuracy of the current vote totals.”
The potential irregularities Bedell outlined in a memo to the GOP rank-and-file include:
- Voting machines in Fairfax County failed to register the votes from more than 800 ballots, including 106 from the Sideburn precinct that Fimian carried with 58 percent of the vote
- Voting machines in Prince William County failed to register votes from more than 200 ballots.
- Prince William County officials rejected over 280 absentee ballots; Fairfax officials rejected 200 to 300
- In several precincts, there were actually more votes than voters marked on the poll books.
Fimian has not said whether he would request a recount, which he could do if he lost by 1 percent of the total vote or less.
Connolly spokesman George Burke issued a statement late Thursday saying Connolly was “confident” that his lead over Fimian would hold.
“We believe that mathematically, there is no chance that a recount – which is just a glorified canvass – can turn it around,” Burke said.
