VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Control of Virginia's House of Delegates comes down to two races in Virginia Beach and the Peninsula.
While Republicans have so far claimed 50 seats, state-funded recounts are on the way for Districts 85 and 91, which both fall under a differential of less than half a percent.
"Holiday season's coming up pretty quickly, so there is a lot of time pressure on us to get this recount completed," said Jeff Marks, chair of the Virginia Beach Electoral Board.
Delegates Alex Askew and Martha Mugler-- both Democrats -- officially announced Tuesday they'll file petitions for recounts from the November election.
As it stands, Askew trails opponent Karen Greenhalgh by 127 votes, and Mugler trails A.C. Cordoza by even less: 94 votes.
A statement from Mugler reads:
“In light of the errors and changes in reporting of ballots, we have decided to seek a recount in order to exercise all possible due diligence. My constituents in Hampton, Poquoson, and York should be able to feel confident that we’ve taken every step to make sure their votes are counted accurately.
A statement from Askew reads:
Voting is a privilege, and we must honor every person who came out and exercised one of our most fundamental rights by ensuring that each vote is properly accounted for. We will do everything in our power to ensure that this election is called in a timely manner, and will continue to keep you updated as the recount progresses.
Marks says once the candidates have filed for the recounts, they have little say in the process itself.
"There is little they can do other than be an observer. The heavy lifting is done by the Registrar's Office, the Clerk's office, the electoral board," Marks said.
Once these petitions are officially filed, there are three main steps that follow, according to Marks:
- A preliminary hearing with the candidates and their legal teams.
- Days after that, the recount which could take as little time as a day
- A final hearing with a three-judge panel
"The final hearing which finalizes everything and culminates in a three-judge panel and order ratifying the recount," Marks said.
And once the recount is over, the options left for the candidates are limited.
"The only other option is to contest the election," Marks said. "An election contest is a lawsuit with the court that would make allegations of fraud and irregularities."