NEWS RELEASE: ROANOKE, October 30, 2020 – The Republican Party of Virginia today filed a petition for a writ of mandamus on behalf of Roanoke County Republican Chairman Dan Webb in the Roanoke County Circuit Court seeking to compel the Roanoke County Registrar’s Office to follow proper election procedures regarding the pre-processing of absentee ballots.
It came to the attention of Chairman Webb this week that the Roanoke County Registrar’s office had begun pre-processing over 9,000 returned absentee ballots without notifying the Roanoke County Republican Committee that this process had begun. This is a violation of Va. Admin. Code 20-70-40 requiring the registrar provide sufficient notice to the political parties to enable them to have authorized representatives present to observe absentee ballot pre-processing.
“The failure of the Roanoke County Registrar to provide proper notice to the Roanoke County Republican Party that absentee ballot pre-processing had begun is startling, casting a shadow over the credibility of the Registrar’s Office,” said Chairman Webb. “The fact that the Roanoke County Democratic Party Chairwoman’s husband was present at the start of pre-processing has even greater implications than simple neglect of following the letter of the law inside the Registrar’s Office.
“It’s my hope that the Court will compel the Registrar’s Office to strictly adhere to the letter of the law so that the citizens of Roanoke County can be assured absentee ballots are handled with care and proper diligence in accord with the laws of Virginia.”
