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Minor issues reported at Suffolk, beach polls

Posted to: Elections News

From staff reports

Tuesday's election was free of long lines and major glitches in most places, but some voters in Suffolk and Virginia Beach encountered problems.

In Suffolk, a glitch with the electronic poll books led to some people who showed up to vote being listed as absentee voters.

It appeared that data from last year was downloaded into the system, said David Sylvia, chairman of Suffolk's Electoral Board. That meant that at least some, if not all, of the residents who voted absentee in the 2008 election were shown as having received an absentee ballot this year.

This is the first year that all precincts are using the electronic poll books, but a paper version - which had the correct information - was available as a backup.

Sylvia said he didn't know how many voters had been affected, but it had the potential to be several thousand. More than 6,000 people voted absentee in Suffolk last year - more than usual, because of the presidential election.

Anyone whose voting status couldn't immediately be confirmed was given a paper ballot, Sylvia said.

"It's not a problem with votes being lost or anything like that," he said. "All the valid, legal voters are counted."

Representatives from the state Board of Elections plan to visit Suffolk today to look into what happened, he said.

In Virginia Beach, Registrar Pat Harrington said she called Republican Party officials after a voter at Salem Middle School complained that Republican observers were standing behind election officials, viewing voters' information on their computer screens, and sending text messages or e-mails based on the information.

Harrington said observers are allowed to sit inside precincts and record voters' names and addresses but cannot stand behind election workers, check identifications or read information on computers. She asked the party to tell them to move.

Virginia GOP spokesman TimMurtaugh said both major political parties use poll watchers as part of their get-out-the-vote efforts.

"You want to know who has voted so that later in the day you know who hasn't voted and you can try to encourage them to," he said. "It's about boosting turnout. There's nothing sinister about it."

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not just my opinion

From the Washington Post:

"Off-year elections can be unreliable as predictors of future, but for Obama's party: It's no longer '08."

obama is the real loser

This election was a referendum on President Obama's policies. He lost Virginia, a purple state, as well as New Jersey, a reliably blue state.

I guess the electorate hasn't been pickin' up what President Obama has been throwin' down.

I hope he and his ego take heed.

maybe not

"Still, majorities of voters in both states (56 percent in Virginia and 60 percent in New Jersey) said President Obama was not a factor in their vote today"

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/03/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5514455.shtml

"Vast economic discontent marked the mood of Tuesday's off-year voters, portending potential trouble for incumbents generally and Democrats in particular in 2010. Still the gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey looked less like a referendum on Barack Obama than a reflection of their own candidates and issues."

http://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/Politics/election-2009-virginia-jersey-exit-polls-obama-economy/story?id=8984551

c'mon already

it's 715pm....start showing the butt whippin your flunky deeds it's gettin.....

Don't worry about the election...

it's 715pm....start showing the butt whippin your flunky deeds it's gettin.....

Perhaps it's time for you to show us how to make a comprehensive sentence, with correct spelling. :)

Those who live in glass houses....

Perhaps it's time you show us how to write a sentence with proper comma usage.

Nice work, Deeds!

I came home to a flyer on my porch telling me to "Stand With Obama" and vote for Creigh Deeds. Trouble is, it listed the incorrect polling station for my neighborhood. Nice work, Deeds!

Governors Race 2009

Good Evening,

I do have some concern over the lack of voters that showed up in the Governors election. I agree the Presidential election was a very important race and I am pleased President Obama won. I feel we are safer and more respected. If you dont think being respected as a country isnt important you are dead wrong. Ask our World War II vets. Im not worried about who wins the Virginia race. The republican party is very angry and want revenge and they might have revenge in this governor race. Our country is still run by a Democrat for the next 3 years and hopefully for the next 7 years. Time will tell for both parties. I am just glad McCain isnt president right now. We need a president that will listen to both sides and right now hes been criticized by both sides because hes listening to all Americans. That is what he was elected to do. If McCain won wed be bombing Iran right now. Boy that would really helps things in the Middle East! LOL! I applaud all the winners of the Governors races tonight. I hope they decide to lead considering all Americans not just their political party. God Bless America!

what?

Apostrophes. They’re a good idea if you want to be taken seriously.

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