Youngkin Praises Election Board, Avoids Comment on Election Deniers

PRESS RELEASE            

Leesburg, VA – It’s well past time for Virginia’s GOP and delusional Election Deniers to come to terms with the fact that they lost in 2020 and stop manufacturing unfounded suspicions, which are damaging democracy.

After a visit with the Loudoun County Office of Elections on Tuesday, during which he listened carefully and asked sincere, well-informed questions, Youngkin emerged into a gathering of traveling press declaring himself satisfied that the process is “accurate” and “dependable.”

"I applaud the Loudoun County Election board, I applaud the team, and the work they're doing to reaffirm and establish confidence in our election process," he said.

Overall, according to one observer, the consensus was that it was a very good day for the Elections Board staff and officers.

In an age of The Big Lie and Election Deniers peppering our county elections board with FOIA requests addressing the 2020 and 2021 election results – 145 came in during a two-day period in August, up from the normal two requests per month –Youngkin’s positive assessment seemed encouraging, perhaps a game changer.

Yet, he ducked at least one question about the 2020 election results, according to those in attendance, and despite Youngkin’s conciliatory tone, he did not openly reject the Election Deniers’ fantasies, which continue to spin out of control here in Loudoun and in Richmond.

Loudoun Republicans recently attacked that process, issuing a resolution questioning the results of the last two election cycles based on no actual evidence. Suggesting that new investigations may be necessary, the resolution calls upon the county to preserve those election records, which state law allows to be destroyed this month.

And, Youngkin’s attack dog, Attorney General Jason Miyares, earlier this month assigned 20 staffers to an election integrity task force.

Meanwhile, Loudoun’s elections office limps along trying to respond to a tsunami of FOIA requests, which is slowing other important work. One informed observer calls it “a denial-of-service attack.”

It’s time to cut out the political theatrics and harassment of Loudoun County’s Board of Elections so we can all focus on free and fair elections.

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