UPDATE: At about 7:00 p.m. today, the counting of absentee votes continued. Pat Harrington, the city's registrar, would not speculate on when it might be completed.
VIRGINIA BEACH
Forget Florida's hanging chads. Absentee ballots are the culprits for uncertainty about election results this week in Virginia Beach. The winners of three contests, including the race for mayor, were unclear Wednesday because the counting of 26,778 absentee votes still hadn't been completed.
The votes, if they go overwhelmingly to the trailing candidate, could be enough to sway the result or force a recount in three races: mayor, the City Council's Rose Hall seat, and the 2nd District of the U.S. House of Representatives. The absentee ballots represent about 10 percent of the city's registered voters.
Mayor Meyera Oberndorf trailed challenger Will Sessoms by about 10,000 votes in unofficial results from 94 precincts. Wednesday afternoon, she told reporters at City Hall that she had congratulated Sessoms by phone on his victory.
"The voters have spoken," she said, "and we will have a new mayor."
Perhaps, but not so fast.
Two hours later, Oberndorf learned of the outstanding votes. "Holy Christopher, that's a lot of ballots!" she said.
Dave Iwans, Sessoms' campaign spokesman, was just as startled. "Holy Moly," he said. "This is ridiculous."
The mayor would need more than two of those votes for every one that goes to Sessoms to secure a sixth term.
Oberndorf reminisced about her tenure - "The past 20 years have been an exciting time for me" - and improvements in the city, including the Lake Gaston pipeline and the development of Princess Anne Commons into a health and education corridor.
She, a friend and an aide spent an emotional few minutes in her office behind a closed door before her concession speech.
U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, the Republican incumbent in the 2nd District congressional race, said she would not conced e until all the votes are counted, even though she trails Democrat Glenn Nye by about 8,000.
For City Council member Reba McClanan, who is behind Glenn R. Davis Jr. by about 9,000 votes in the race for the Rose Hall seat, the news provided renewed hope. She was receiving bouquets of flowers from supporters mourning her apparent defeat.
"The whole thing has been up and down and around," McClanan said. "Here I thought the thing was decided. And it may be."
A spokesman for Davis downplayed the effect of the absentee ballots.
"It would be a big surprise if the percentages of absentee ballots were so different from the rest of the city," Brian Kirwin said. "You've got to run such a super majority."
Officials suspended the counting of absentee ballots by 5 p.m. Wednesday and planned to resume at 10 this morning, registrar Pat Harrington said.
There were 16,663 absentee ballots cast in person, and 10,115 ballots mailed to the registrar's office.
All but about 3,000 had been counted by Wednesday afternoon, but no results would be released until all the votes are counted, said Anne Rinehart, chief of absentee balloting. The count is taking place in a second-floor conference room of the registrar's office.
Officials began counting the absentee ballots at 5 a.m. Tuesday and continued until 5 a.m. Wednesday, when they stopped for a break. They resumed around noon Wednesday and stopped again at 5 p.m. The absentee ballots will boost the Beach's total voter turnout to about 70 percent.
Tim Barrow, vice chair of the Virginia Beach electoral board, said this year's election drew about twice as many absentee ballots as normal. He said that turning around a 10,000-vote deficit would "take a massive sweep."
"We'll just have to wait and see," he said. "It's possible, but with that kind of gap, it would be a tough hurdle."
Shawn Day, (757) 222-5131, shawn.day@pilotonline.com
Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com
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"Gee, there must have been a
"Gee, there must have been a lot of dead people voting for Obama. You do know he's a democrat and was just voted as President elect? I mean, you reeeeeeeally did know that didn't you?"
Well probably mostly felons, but quite a few dead from the neck up.
Why you cant believe anything you can read~
My candidate has nothing to do with fabricating numbers. Commercial dropped 28% off the tax base since 2000. Last time I looked 16% = 27000 voters. 39% of the vote does not represent the views of the City. Come on $9.05 a vote! I would say that illustration best represents the word extreme. I would say its a better candidate to demonstrate extreme! Maybe you should consider running for office so you could attract so many voters since you appear to represent everyone . But of course that is not the issue. Your bent on furnishing inaccurate data. Incidentally, when will the debt service end in Town Center? Post a date and year for the first payment
I am not aware of any negative behavior in front of Council. Stop fabricating stories. VBTA mission was to emphasize the need for oversight so that guys like you can be watched I just wanted you to know that the major economic in VB is the residential community and you could care less about there well being. Since 2000 the commercial tax base moved 84% while residential tax base moved over 188%. Since 2000, the tax rate was lowered by 27% while the average tax increased by about 120%. Town Center has a TIF and they do not pay
and I did forget to let you know
After the absantee ballots wre counted Nye beat Drake by over 12,000 votes instead of the 8000 he though he won by. More dead people?
well keith
"One has to wonder how many of those actual and absentee votes were dead people, felons, and illegal aliens. That's usually the only way Dems can win an election anyway."
Gee, there must have been a lot of dead people voting for Obama. You do know he's a democrat and was just voted as President elect? I mean, you reeeeeeeally did know that didn't you?
Gertz
Gertz states "the absentee ballots should not be counted??????? Anyone??????"
No you didn't say it. It is my opinion that you implied that Thelma Drake was "milking" the process rather that roll over and concede before all of the votes had been counted. If Nye had been trailing Drake, I would have expect him to do the same.
One has to wonder how many of those actual and absentee votes were dead people, felons, and illegal aliens. That's usually the only way Dems can win an election anyway.
when did I say
the absentee ballots should not be counted??????? Anyone??????
Your Views are Extreme
Al, your candidate, although well known from past service on the council, got 16% of the vote; every other candidate supported economic development, so your guy stood alone. If you don't think getting only 16% is extreme, you are part of the problem. We have the lowest tax rate in the region, and our homes have maintained value while those around the nation are declining precipitously. Our commercial tax base has increased over the last ten years, not decreased as you assert. The Town Center PPV and the 31st Street deal annually put over $10,000,000 into the general fund, which translates to about $0.02 on the tax rate, so if it were not for just these two projects alone our tax rate would be $0.91. When the debt service ends on the PPV's, all the added revenue will go into the general fund. You and the officers of the VBTA have distinguished yourselves by your outrageous and distasteful behavior in public meetings in which you express derision to all who do not agree with your anti tax, anti government views. Need any other reasons?
You have a huge problem citing accurate facts
Mike why is it you can't address an issue without spewing the same choice phrases or meaningless allegations. Calling folks extreme or bizarre is getting real old. You keep citing fictional stats that are blatantly inaccurate. For example you literally stated ""The basic shift has been to high value commercial development to serve our citizens, and that growth has brought tax relief". Where is the tax relief? Better yet tell us how much tax went into the General Fund?
You claim that the commercial tax base has grown knowing full well the tax base dropped by 28% since 2000. You constantly suggest that the real estate tax rate was sufficiently reduced by going from $1.22 to $0.89. That represents 27% and is pretty meaningless when the average residential tax base climbed by 115%. Based on those numbers running up the tax base was the fault of the City. Of course that does not include home insurance premiums and other fees that have doubled for many. The fact is VB retains the second highest residential tax burden in the region! For the record special interest have received an incredible sum of residential tax dollars. When the City issues debt, $0.87 cents of each $1.00 of
Give it up
Al, give it a rest; your candidate, has had years to make his case and the fact is, he and the VBTA are simply out of touch with reality. All but the most diehard VBTA members acknowledge that your extreme idelogy is simply wrong for the times. With commercial developments and PPEA's having contributed millions to keep our tax rate the lowest in the region, your message is not only wrong, it is bizarre given the facts. And since you can't win on the facts, you have to claim that the press is against you, or Sessoms raised too much money, or the Mayor's shoes were too red, or Taylor pulled too many votes from your guy. Every other candidate stressed the need for economic development; only John Moss advocated pulling back into a shell. Give it up; the VBTA is dead but only the officers and the activists have failed to see the truth.
Drake v Nye
Gertz would be singing a different tune if Nye had been trailing Drake. She has every right to wait for ALL of the absentee votes and any votes in her favor. No one gets sworn in until after the new year anyway. Chill out Gertz.
News Flash
The MAJORITY has voted AGAINST the Republicans in many of these elections. That's not a coincidence. It's because they wanted to. It's time to face reality and try to re-build your party into something respectable again.
By Deirdre FernandesShawn
By Deirdre Fernandes
Shawn Day
The Virginian-Pilot
© November 6, 2008
UPDATE: At about 7:00 p.m. today, the counting of absentee votes continued. Pat Harrington, the city's registrar, would not speculate on when it might be completed.
This situation is absolutely ridiculous. Two days later and the vote is not counted. Was there really a plan to count the ballots in a reasonable time? Probably not. Immediately enough help should have been summoned and the vote counted in 24 hours or less. Plus, the registrar could have started counting the absentee vote before Nov. 4.
She has not performed as expected. She owes the citizens an apology.
PS Gertz - Drake has every right to wait for the ballot count just like Virginians have the right to open carry.
drake will never concede
Thelma Drake will milk this for all it's worth and never conced that she lost. I mean really......she (Drake) loose? Never!
I hope by the time they finish counting the ballots Nye has won by more than 8000 votes and the percentage over Drake even higher.
Question for anyone
Have not heard anything from Pat Robertson. He's been too quiet.
Mission Accomplised!
Drake, Your finished, concede, give up. As what bobblakeman stated MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!! Go home and clean up the office so Mr. Nye can prepared to move in soon.
Thelma and the military-Mission Accomplished!
Thelma has done Zero for the military. When we went to war our troops went into battle without adequate armor for well over two years after Thelma and President Bush said our Mission was Accomplished. Well, if you don't mind wearing a flak jacket and a heavily armed contingent of juiced up mercenaries from Blackwater, you can walk around Iraq. So, I guess that qualifies as victory.
A 27% rate reduction hardly mitigates a 120% tax hike
It is true that many voters are not privy to locate quantitative data that would disclose a staggering $700 million budget hike since 2000. It is also very hard to overcome the persuasion of massive promotion, particularly, with an ad budget that plunks down as much as $9.05 dollars per vote. I believe the Mayor spent about a $1.20 per vote. Incidentally, John Moss spent about $0.77 per vote. Than of course there is the relentless support by the Pilot's editorial board who seemed more enamored with the candidate's cost per thousand expenditures rather than the vital issues confronting the major tax payer in this City. The editors were seriously mistaken when they attribute Mr Sessom's win as an upset. The results would have been very different with a level playing field and equal Pilot promotion. It is also true that Mr.Sessoms adopted the extreme mantra of John Moss when 7-8 full page ads in the Beacon claimed "the top priority" of Mr Sessoms. Simply shift the residential tax burden by increasing the commercial side of the ledger which at 87% residential vs 13% commercial is the most imbalanced tax base in the nation for similar sized Cities. Mr Sessoms stated "We the homeown
Thelma supports the military 110%
For all you that where brain washed by the moveon.org funded TV adds against Thelma, I rocommend you look at what she has done for the military since elected. She is with them 110%, don't believe a bottom of the barrel run TV commercial that only tells you a small portion of the story and is not true. Do a search on the internet if you don't believe me.
do you want it fast, or do you want it right?
The new Congress will not be sworn in till January. We have time to count all the votes and count them accurately.
Ouch!
Ouch Mike!
I am well aware the tax rate has dropped to .89 from $1.22333 actually. That does not mean however it could not be moved down to .80 until the assessments get matched up with the 18 month lag. With the plan Will talked about in a few public forums there are schools that need to close. I hope that some of the dollars saved from that can go to a temporary tax break. That will give us time to get the economic development plan moving and start shifting the tax away from home owners. With the reduction of the schools and a few other city employee cuts Will has proposed I think "looking" into a tax break seems logical. I mean if we are going to render some Teachers, and city employees jobless at least we can save them some taxes while they look for new jobs. I am educated on this City, it's people, and hundreds of small to large businesses who call VA Beach home. I consult with about 200 local companies and hear their concerns as well as homeowners. Change is needed, progress is needed. I just hope its provided to everyone and not those with Towne Bank or those part of the 600,000.00 club.