Virginia Elections Board Votes to Certify State Results

Election workers stack ballots in the election office to be processed that were picked up at a United States Postal Service office on October 26, 2020. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

By Associated Press

November 19, 2020

Officials suggested exploring ways to operate more efficiently over the next two months.

RICHMOND — The State Board of Elections in Virginia voted Wednesday to certify the state’s election results, two days later than expected because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the city of Richmond’s voter registration office.

The board’s 3-0 vote certified results for president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House elections and state constitutional amendments in a 10-minute meeting without comment. Virginia’s certification comes as former Vice President Joe Biden prepares to assume the presidency and President Donald Trump continues to sow doubt about the national election.

Lawmakers and elections officials already are talking about potential changes to how the state reports election results on election night. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 2.8 million Virginians voted in advance, either in person or via mail ballots.

Many localities did not report their advance votes until after 11 p.m. on election night, leading to late swings from Republicans to Democrats in several contests.

Vice chairman John O’Bannon, a Republican, told the meeting’s participants that “if we find things to do more efficiently” it would be beneficial to get the data as soon as possible so that the General Assembly might be ready to take action in the January session.