278 voters in Richmond receive wrong ballots

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Two hundred and seventy-eight early voters in Richmond received the wrong ballots for the Nov. 4 General Election.

What was the error?

According to an announcement made on the first day of early voting on Friday, Sept. 19, by Richmond general registrar David Levine, some ballots for the Nov. 4 election were printed with the incorrect House of Delegates race listed in precincts 310 (Gilpin area), 505 (parts of VCU and Oregon Hill) and 607 (parts of Downtown).

Levine confirmed that a total of 278 incorrect ballots were issued over the following areas:

• 25 incorrect ballots were issued to voters in precinct 310
• 89 incorrect ballots were issued to voters in precinct 505
• 164 incorrect ballots were issued to voters in precinct 607

None of the above incorrect ballots were sent in. However, Levine said five additional incorrect ballots were sent in with completed votes.

While ballots were being made, Levine said an error led to some voters receiving ballots that contained the wrong House of Delegates race. The mistake was not caught during the office's proofing process before the ballots were distributed to voters.

Levine said the incorrect ballots were only given to voters in precincts 310, 505 and 607. Ballots in all other precincts throughout Richmond are reportedly correct.

(Courtesy of Richmond Office of Elections)

(Courtesy of Richmond Office of Elections)

(Courtesy of Richmond Office of Elections)

When the issue was noticed, Levine said a correction protocol was initiated.

When communicating to the public about the error, Levine said the Richmond Office of Elections emailed City Council members in affected districts and spoke with at least one affected House of Delegates candidate. The announcement was also shared on the city's website and notices will be mailed alongside new ballots to affected voters.

What happens next?

Voters in the affected precincts who would like to vote early can either wait until the correct ballots are printed and provided to the office, which is reportedly likely to occur "early" this week, or cast a provisional ballot in the office that will be validated and counted.

Those who have already returned incorrect ballots by mail will have their ballots set aside in a secure place, and corrected ballots will be sent.

In the aftermath, Levine said the Richmond Office of Elections is fully reviewing its proofing, printing and verification processes for ballots to find where the issue arose.

Additional checks will reportedly be built in at each stage, from the ballot design, candidate/race verification, file handling, proof distribution and the final print of ballots, according to Levine.

Levine said additional staff training and oversight will be provided to ensure redundancy in verification. In addition, Levine said better systems will be explored to help with the detection of errors.

The announcement also provided an apology to voters for any confusion the error may have caused.

"We deeply apologize to all affected voters, community partners, and candidates for this error.
Our goal is to conduct elections with integrity, transparency, and accuracy," the announcement said. "We are committed to making this right and ensuring that every voter has the correct ballot and the opportunity to have their voice heard."

What are the candidates for the House of Delegates in those precincts?

For the House of Delegates race, voters in precinct 310 will be choosing between incumbent Rae Cousins (D) and Kelsey Linnehan (R).

Those in precincts 505 and 607 will be choosing between incumbent Betsy Carr (D) and Richard Prado (R).

What is Richmond's history with elections?

This is the first election since Levine's appointment. In July, Levine sat down with 8News for an exclusive interview at the start of his tenure as general registrar, during which he emphasized the importance of restoring trust with residents and ensuring transparency.

Back on Nov. 5, 2024, 11 voters received the wrong ballots while voting in person on Election Day at the Calhoun Community Center in Richmond's Gilpin area, after which a poll official was fired and forcibly removed.

Those 11 voters received ballots that included only federal races. At the time, the Richmond Office of Elections was led by now-former general registrar Keith Balmer, who later resigned following an investigation that found city policy violations regarding nepotism, misconduct, and the misuse of nearly $500,000 in city funds.

Where can I find more information?

Any voters with questions can email voter@rva.gov. For the most up-to-date information, voters can visit the Richmond Office of Elections website or call 804-646-5950.