This is not new information -- it is just a closer look at the information that is available on the Virginia Elections Results web site. I do not believe, however, that the analysis has made it onto a KoS diary yet.
Results as of 4:22pm
Virginia Attorney-General
Repub McDonnell -- 968,972
Democrat Cre Deeds -- 967,581
The difference is around 1,500 -- and changes as more votes are recorded.
The Virginia Elections website suggests that we are waiting on results from three precincts, and that the race is quite tight between Deeds & Mcdonnell for Attorney General. Previous diaries had noted this, and had left us feeling a bit hopeful that there were enough votes left to be counted to possibly swing it to Deeds. A closer examination of the Elections website, however, shows this to be unlikely.
One precinct that has not yet reported in is #910 from Richmond City. In the 2004 election, 537 voters voted from this precinct. This precinct, while small, voted for Kerry/Edwards on an 8 to 2 ratio - with 454 for KE and 83 for Bush/Cheney. (I am presuming that the precinct and district numbers are the same for the 2005 election as they were for the 2004 election.) So Deeds will likely gain votes here, although the number will be small - 330ish assuming a similar turnout in both years.
I could not find figures on turnout in 2004 for this precinct, although VA had an overall turnout of around 43.5 - 44.41% for 2005..
Precinct 910 2004 Results: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/...
The other 2 precincts are located in James City County. The precinct table for this county is, however, confusing. It looks like what hasn't been counted are:
Central Absentee Precinct (C003)
Roberts B (0502)
http://sbe.vipnet.org/...
This sounds like Absentee ballots all go to a central location and form their own precinct? Roberts B (0502) is listed twice, once with results favoring Kilgore and McDonnell, and directly below that a row/entry with no results. It may be that we are not actually waiting on 3 precincts. The second Roberts B (0502) may be a table error on the website, and Central Absentee may just be an unusual manner of counting absentee votes for James City County.
The 2004 results for these two "precincts" show zero votes counted. 2004 also shows duplicate entries for Roberts B (0502) with the bottom entry showing zero votes. I now believe that the only votes that are still out are absentee and Precinct 910.
http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/...
Bottom line is that Deeds will need to make up 1,400 votes through statewide absentee ballots. That seems unlikely.
Cre Deeds, has not, however, conceded. Nor should he. The results are close enough that he is entitled to a recount. Also, this will mean that absentee ballots and provisional ballots will get the attention they deserve.
http://www.wric.com/...
The recount presents a small ray of hope. Over the course of the day, although no new precincts have reported in, Deeds has been chipping away at McDonnell's 2k lead. I do not know whether these additional votes are the result of corrections or are absentee ballots and provisional ballots slowly making their way into the final tally.
I do not hold out much hope for the recount though because most of Virginia is now voting on computers. For those precincts, there is not anything physical to recount. On the other hand, Deeds need only make up a relatively small number of votes.
Voting Systems Used in Virginia:
http://www2.sbe.virginia.gov/...