Update: The election has now been tossed due to a dispute over a questionable ballot. No winner has been declared, and there will be a coin toss to determine a victor, which itself can be followed by a second recount.
Who says one vote can’t make a difference?
A single vote turned control of the Virginia House of Delegates over to Democrats for the first time in 17 years. But that only lasted one day as a court has now declared the Virginia House election tied, according to the Associated Press.
A vote recount in the Newport News district had flipped a seat in the House of Delegates giving Shelly Simonds a one-vote victory over Republican incumbent David Yancey by a count of 11,608 to 11,607, NPR reported.
The Republican candidate started Election Day last month off with a lead but a recount in all precincts chipped away at the lead until only one vote somehow made the defining difference. But Yancey challenged an uncounted ballot, successfully getting it to be included in his total.
The Virginia House of Delegates race is tied AGAIN after a three judge-panel determined another vote should be counted. And that’s AFTER a recount showed Democrat Shelly Simonds winning by ONE vote. It’ll come down to a name out of a hat for control of the House. Wow.
— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenezCNN) December 20, 2017
The winner of the tie will be determined “by lot” according to state law, AP reported, meaning Republicans would maintain power by one seat, 51-49 if Yancey is declared the winner. A power-sharing agreement would have to be put in place if Simonds wins.
Republican leaders previously conceding the seat pending the court’s confirmation said in a statement that they were “ready to establish a bipartisan framework under which the House can operate efficiently and effectively over the next two years.”
Twitter users followed the breaking – and quick-changing turn of events on social media.
Holy cripes. It WAS a 50-50 tie in the House of Delegates, now it’s 50-49 with a PURE TIE (and presumably a later special election re-vote) in one race. Crazy times in Virginia. https://t.co/aORfa8lx1u
— Jeff B/DDHQ (@EsotericCD) December 20, 2017
virginia house of delegates to be decided by “duck-duck-goose” best 2/3 gets to be a delegate
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) December 20, 2017
Welcome to the Annual Virginia House of Delegates Hunger Games!!!
— PH Herndon (@ph_herndon) December 20, 2017
Control of the Virginia House of Delegates is going to come down to a coin toss, or picking a name out of a hat, or something equally random. https://t.co/VNbZ7vplhP
— Benjamin Freed (@brfreed) December 20, 2017
Is it Duel to the death?
— Phillip (@PhillipG76) December 20, 2017
Incredible. Don’t ever think ‘my vote doesn’t count’
— Tim Siebecker (@timothyjamessos) December 20, 2017
Looks like control of the Virginia House Of Delegates is going to come down to a spirited Rock Paper Scissors contest.
— Blaknsam (@Blaknsam) December 20, 2017
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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