Virginia: Fairfax County Delayed in Vote Tally, Misses 8PM Deadline

Virginia’s most populous county will not meet its self-imposed 8:00 p.m. deadline and is delayed in reporting of early vote ballot tallies.

“Fairfax County is delayed in reporting its early vote ballots. We do not know when we are expecting those ballots to be counted, but it will not be by the self-imposed 8 p.m. deadline,” New York Times reporter Reid Epstein announced within an hour of polls closing in Virginia.

Reports of the inexplicable delay were later confirmed by Terry McAuliffe’s (D) campaign:

Fairfax County comprises about 13 percent of Virginia’s population, currently estimated at 1,147,532 – the most populous county in the state. In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Fairfax County swung heavily for former Gov. Ralph Northam (D) with 66.6 percent of the vote. For Republican Glenn Youngkin to squeak out a victory in Virginia, turnout for Terry McAuliffe (D) in Fairfax County will have to be subpar.

The possibility that Fairfax County’s delay could result in an extended Virginia election similar to 2020 sparked outrage among conservatives on Twitter.