Counties in 2 key states delay certifying election results, citing threats from Russia and other countries
A majority of counties in six states, including Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania, are not certifying or counting election results despite threats from Russia and other governments.
In Virginia, Secretary of State Ken Cuccinelli told lawmakers Tuesday that none of the state’s 7,300 election workers have certified the vote count or the provisional ballots. The secretary of state said his office needs to be 100 percent accurate in certifying the vote but is concerned about the timing of a recount, which is likely to begin next week.
An Associated Press review of the secretary of state’s office’s website for the 11 days prior to the election found that no certification or counted paper ballots or voting machines were submitted.
In Pennsylvania, Secretary of State Kathleen Kane says officials are “extremely concerned and in limbo,” delaying plans for a statewide recount because of threats from Russia and other countries. It was not immediately clear if Kane was referring to a court-imposed deadline or a state-imposed deadline, but the state’s election board has said a certified statewide recount is possible after Election Day.
In a statement, Florida Gov. Rick Scott expressed concerns that county clerks must complete the certification process by April 26, but said state employees plan to complete the process by Saturday.
Officials in Florida and Virginia rejected requests for interviews. An official at the secretary of state’s office in Washington, D.C., declined to comment on the ongoing recount, but told the AP that it likely has to do with scheduling.
Officials in Georgia, where the secretary of state’s office is located, have stopped counting ballots with ballots that cannot be read. The office in Washington, D.C., had stopped in the days before the election. Virginia has stopped counting ballots with ballots that cannot be read, but is still expected to process
