Tag: Richmond General Registrar

Virginia Election Official Resigns After Report Found He Spent $500,000 on Alcohol, Hotels, Private Security, and Office Remodel

Tom Pappert
Keith Balmer

The top two election officials in Richmond, Virginia, resigned on Wednesday after a report claimed their office misappropriated $500,000 on expenses, including alcohol, unnecessary hotel stays, private security, and a luxury remodeling of office space leased by a government agency. Their resignations will reportedly take effect on December 31.

Richmond General Registrar Keith Balmer resigned on Wednesday, with the Richmond Electoral Board reportedly accepting both his resignation and the resignation of his deputy, Jerry Richardson. This comes just one week after Richmond Inspector General James Osuna released a report claiming their office wasted almost $500,000 in taxpayer money.

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Richmond Electoral Board Removes City’s General Registrar, J. Kirk Showalter

Jacob Taylor

The Richmond Electoral Board on Monday night voted 2-1 to remove J. Kirk Showalter from her position as the city’s general registrar.

Of the three-member board, which has the power to remove a general registrar from office under state law, chairman James M. Nachman and vice-chairman Joyce K. Smith voted in favor of the move, while secretary C. Starlet Stevens opposed.

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Chaotic Virginia Election Shows Need for Clearer Absentee Reporting

Eric Burk

It was a good day for Donald Trump in Virginia — strong in-person Election Day turnout drove the president ahead of challenger Joe Biden with 52 percent of the vote by 11 p.m. But that shifted between 11 p.m. November 3 and 5 a.m November 4, according to reporting by conservative newsblog The Gateway Pundit.

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Virginia Dems Hit Panic Button, Sue Richmond Registrar

Jacob Taylor

Virginia Democrats filed suit against the Richmond General Registrar on Monday for not providing records of voters with invalid absentee ballots due to errors or omissions, preventing the party from notifying and assisting voters in curing their ballots before next Friday’s noon deadline.

A complaint was filed by attorneys for Susan Swecker, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPV), in Richmond Circuit Court, seeking injunctive relief and to petition for a Writ of Mandamus to make J. Kirk Showalter, Richmond’s registrar, comply with the records request.

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Richmond City General Registrar Stresses Early Action from Voters as USPS Warns Mail-in Ballots May be Delayed

Jacob Taylor

In an effort to combat possible ballot delays from USPS, the Richmond City General Registrar J. Kirk Showalter is asking voters to apply for and submit mail-in voting forms sooner rather than later.

“If you are getting your ballot through the mail and you apply early on, there should be adequate time for you to get your ballot and return it,” Showalter said in an interview with The Virginia Star.

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