Virginia will be getting a lot of attention in the presidential election - it's one of the new battleground states. There are many good things about Virginia (the Big Eared long-eared bat, for one).
But there are many things that need reform: one of the nation's weakest campaign finance laws, many still voting on the mysterious electronic voting machines and behind the times on granting felons voting rights once they've served their sentence. The WaPo said today:
When it comes to felony voting rights, the Virginia constitution is a decade behind the times. ... Virginia legislators should make restoration automatic. Until they do, Mr. Kaine is right to grant voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences. Felons who have served their time shouldn't be excluded from the democratic process.
Virginia has been under a microscope because of the heated race for Senate between incumbent George Allan (R) and challenger Jim Webb (D). Can you say macaca? What about tail hook? We hear that ABC just broke the news that the Virginia Board of Elections confirmed that the FBI is investigating reports of voter intimidation and intentional misinformation.
Here are the tallies from the top precincts:
- Fairfax, 70
- Prince William, 31
- Virginia Beach, 22
- Chesapeake, 22
We have been listening to what we can on our hotline line today and are piecing together a few things; it does sound like it is getting a little rough out there.
So Tuesday saw some primary elections across the country. Now, primary turnout is traditionally pretty low. In Virginia, however, voter turnout reached embarassing lows -- only 3% of eligible voters statewide went to the polls to decide which Democrat would face Republican Senator George Allen in November. Three percent!
Only 49 people in Norton bothered to cast a ballot for who will challenge Sen. George Allen this fall.
That was the lowest turnout of any jurisdiction in the commonwealth. Pretty much everyone else in this city of 4,000 was over at the Best Friend Festival, a week-long celebration featuring bubble-gum-blowing, watermelon-seed-spitting and limbo contests. That evening, the festival drew 2,000 people to express their fundamental right to karaoke.
Election? "I heard nobody mention it," says Joyce Payne, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the annual festival. "I'm sure it was important to people who are very concerned about politics." If you can find such a person.
This Washington Post column has more details on the race, including the interesting dichotomy between Northern Virginia and the rest of the state, as well as the implications of such low turnout for the campaigns involved. Check it out if you're interested. Which, if you're in Virginia, will probably only be about 3% of you.
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