Republicans scored an early election victory in Prince William County Circuit Court.
A Judge on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, issued an injunction to allow the Prince William County Republican Committee to have its party members serving as election officers in the roles of poll chiefs and assistant chiefs in 12 disputed precincts across the county.
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The Prince William County Electoral Board will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 26 in Manassas.
The meeting comes after the Republican Party of Virginia filed a lawsuit against the Prince William County Elections Office.
The GOP says the county has not done its job to allow handpicked party representatives to work as poll chiefs and assistant chiefs on Election Day, November 8, 2022.
It’s stepping in and taking over for Prince William County Republican Party Chairman Denny Daugherty, who disputed county voter registrar Eric Olsen’s decision to place poll chiefs, who are members of the Prince William Democratic Party, at 12 polling places, across the county’s 93 voting precincts.
Olsen chose the party-affiliated Democrats based on their prior election experience. However, state law requires registrars to place party-backed chiefs in positions if available.
Since 2020, the GOP in Prince William County has made strides to attract new members to the party and now has enough people to fill these roles, Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Richard Anderson told Potomac Local News.
During an Electoral Board meeting earlier this month, when county Republicans voiced concern over the election chiefs, Voter Registrar Eric Olsen announced he’ll be stepping down from his role after the November 8 General Election.
Olsen cited stress in the job, and health concerns. Olsen served in the role for less than year.
The meeting takes place inside the county’s old courthouse, 9250 Lee Avenue in Manassas.
Michele White, his predecessor, is facing corruption charges stemming to the 2020 General Election. She’ll be in a Prince William County courtroom in April 2023 to answer the charges.
So far, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has been tight lipped about the charges. White, who lives in Occoquan, told the Prince William Times the charges were political in nature and founded an online fundraiser to help pay for her legal defense.
Updated 7 p.m. –– The Republican Party of Virginia filed a lawsuit against the Prince William County Elections Office.
The GOP says the county has not done its job to allow handpicked party representatives to work as poll chiefs and assistant chiefs on Election Day, November 8, 2022.
It’s stepping in and taking over for Prince William County Republican Party Chairman Denny Daugherty, who disputed county voter registrar Eric Olsen’s decision to place poll chiefs, who are members of the Prince William Democratic Party, at 12 polling places, across the county’s 93 voting precincts.
Olsen chose the party-affiliated Democrats based on their prior election experience. However, state law requires registrars to place party-backed chiefs in positions if available.
Since 2020, the GOP in Prince William County has made strides to attract new members to the party and now has enough people to fill these roles, Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Richard Anderson told Potomac Local News.
RPV Chairman Richard Anderson says:
“The lawsuit seeks a temporary injunction for the purpose of compelling Prince William County to comply with long-established provisions of the 1971 Constitution of Virginia, which requires equal representation of the two major political parties in election officer positions at Virginia polling locations. Because the lawsuit is now in the hands of the court, the Republican Party of Virginia and other Republican entities do not intend to answer questions until the court has rendered its decision.”
Olsen told Potomac Local News he’s anticipating being served with the lawsuit, which the RPV filed Wednesday, October 19.
Meanwhile, Prince William County will take center stage in the battle for the 7th District as Republicans bring in well-known faces to campaign for Yesli Vega, who aims to unseat Democrat incumbent Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s 7th District.
Tomorrow, Saturday, October 22, former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard will join Vega at her campaign headquarters outside Quantico Marine Corps Base. Last week, Gabbard announced she is no longer a Democrat and will join Vega at 10:30 a.m. for a rally at 18354 Quantico Gateway Drive in Triangle.
On Monday, October 24, the U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas will join Gov. Glenn Youngkin for a rally for Yesli Vega at Montclair Tabernacle Church, 16120 Dumfries Road near Dumfries, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. It’s the second time this year that both Cruz and Youngkin will stump for Vega.
The church hosted Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, and Attorney General Jason Miyares in May 2021 when they were campaigning for seats in the November 2021 General Election.
On Saturday, November 5, the Youngkin will lead a rally in Haymarket to lead a rally for Hung Cao (R), who is looking to unseat Jennifer Wexton (D) in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. The rally will beat 10:30 a.m. at the QBE Building, 14604 Washington Street in Haymarket.
