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Control of Virginia House of Delegates could come down to Newport News district

Posted at 10:38 AM, Nov 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-13 17:28:50-05

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -After counting provisional ballots, election officials say David Yancey now has just a ten vote lead over Shelly Simonds in the 94th District House of Delegates race.

Simonds picked up seven provisional ballots and Yancey picked up four. Heading into today, Yancey had a 13 vote lead.

The city's electoral board met Monday to count the provisional ballots. Voters can vote provisionally if there's an issue with their ballots on election day.

After the updated totals were announced, Simonds said she plans to call for a recount. "We're optimistic and this ain't over yet," she said.

A staffer for Yancey said they expected today's outcome and believe he will win a recount.

Right now, republicans have a 51-49 advantage in the House of Delegates, but three races face potential recounts. The closest is the race for the 94th.

Dr. Jesse Richman, a political science professor at ODU, said mistakes in counting the ballots could change the results, but it's not likely. "Usually when there is a recount, the outcome comes back the same, but not always," he said.