Democratic Candidate Doubts Results
Janet Oleszek Requests Recount in the 37th District
Staff Writer Joshua St. Louis

On Nov. 28, Janet Oleszek, the Democratic candidate for the state senate seat in the 37th district, officially filed for a state-funded recount. State Senator Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican incumbent, was certified the winner on Nov. 26 by the State Board of Elections, by a margin of 92 votes.

Oleszek said in a press release, “I certainly appreciate the time and expense that will go into this recount, and believe that through this process, we will provide the electorate with the confidence that the final results are correct in accordance with the best interest of our community, our Commonwealth and our democracy.”

In an interview with The Washington Post, Cuccinelli said, "She has the right to do it, but they don't have any basis to think that anything was done incorrectly."

Oleszek is legally entitled to a recount. In Virginia, should the margin of victory be less than 0.5 percent, the candidate is entitled to a taxpayer-funded recount, paid by the counties and cities involved in the recount. The margin of the election in the 37th district was 0.2 percent.

According to a document called “Virginia Recounts–The Basics,” on the State Board of Elections website, a recount court will be created, and will be comprised of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court where the recount petition was filed and two other judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. The recount court will outline the procedures for the recount and will appoint recount officials. The court will also decide where the counting of the votes will take place and will certify the winner.