Judge rules for state, Prince William County Republicans in elections case

A judge on Wednesday ruled against the Prince William County Office of Elections in a lawsuit filed by the Republican Party of Virginia and its local chapter, forcing the county’s elections office to appoint new Republican chiefs and assistant chiefs at polling places for Election Day on Tuesday.

Filed Oct. 19, the lawsuit argued that the county’s elections office and General Registrar Eric Olsen had appointed elections overseers on behalf of the GOP who had previously voted in Democratic primaries. Per state law, local elections offices must allow polling location chiefs and assistant chiefs from both parties to oversee elections, but Republicans missed the deadline for nominating poll watchers. As a result, the elections office picked registered Republicans on the local party’s behalf.

Due to the injunction issued by Judge Thomas Horne on behalf of the Circuit Court for Prince William County, the county’s elections office will have to accept new appointments from the Republican Party.

“No one is above the law, and the Prince William County Elections Office violated state law by denying Republicans equal opportunity to participate in the electoral process,” Anderson said in a statement Wednesday. “The Republican Party believes that to be fair, honest, and open, elections must be conducted following every rule in place. The Code of Virginia sets out clear rules about the appointment of officers of elections representing the political parties. I’m pleased that Judge Horne agreed with our position.”.. (Excerpt from InsideNova.com)