Roanoke Times
Lawyers for Deeds and McDonnell remain at odds over the recounting of paper ballots cast on optical scanners and punch-card machines. Deeds wanted all of those ballots -- more than 500,000 of them -- run through the machines again to determine whether some votes for attorney general were not recorded during the first count. McDonnell objected, arguing that handling of paper ballots would open the door to human error that could affect the integrity of the results.
The judges denied Deeds' request after a Dec. 9 hearing, ruling that ballots would be run through machines only if results sheets are deemed illegible or unreliable.
Deeds' lawyers filed a motion late Friday in which they asked to have more than 110,000 optical scan ballots from 168 precincts rerun Tuesday. Seven Martinsville precincts and eight Wythe County precincts are cited in the motion, including the absentee precincts in both jurisdictions.
The judges will hear arguments on the motion this afternoon.
In each of the precincts cited in Deeds' motion, at least 3 percent of the ballots cast contained no vote for attorney general. Rates of 3 percent or greater "indicate an abnormality," Deeds' lawyers wrote in the motion.
Creigh Deeds is only 323 votes behind, a true count of the votes might very well make him the winner. But he cannot do this without our help. I know that everyone is tapped out from Christmas; but if Deeds gets significant support from netroots it will send a clear signal that we will reward Democrats who defend our ballots.
I know many of you have responded to earlier appeals for Creigh Deeds, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Virginia Democrats appreciate your support very much indeed. Once again, I am asking Kossacks to support Creigh Deeds.