A lawyer for the Republican Party of Virginia has made a complaint to the Accomack County commonwealth's attorney alleging a Democratic voter illegally filled out absentee ballots for others.
Republicans have asked a judge to temporarily stop the Accomack County Electoral Board and registrar from counting any absentee ballots under review by the prosecutor, according to a court filing made Monday in Accomack Circuit Court.
Christopher Marston, an attorney for the Republicans, made the complaint about ballots to the prosecutor on Oct. 15, according to the filing.
In Accomack County, Del. Rob Bloxom, R-Accomack, is challenged by Democrat Phil Hernandez, and Sen. Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack, is challenged by Republican Elizabeth Lankford.
Gary C. Byler, the lawyer who made the request for an injunction, said that in one case, a woman went to get an absentee ballot for the Tuesday election and learned that someone she didn't know had already requested one for her.
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Marston sent a letter to Commonwealth's Attorney J. Spencer Morgan alleging that a woman completed absentee ballots for others.
She "appears to have been filling out by mail absentee ballot requests for other voters, submitting those requests to the Registrar, visiting the homes of those voters once their ballots have arrived, filling out the ballots and returning the voted ballots to the Registrar by mail," Martson's letter said.
Marston's letter named Debra Wharton of Temperanceville as the woman who allegedly gathered the ballots. Reached by phone Tuesday morning, Wharton referred questions to the Democratic Party of Virginia. A party spokesman had no comment.
A court filing requesting an injunction over absentee ballots also was made in Southwest Virginia's Buchanan County, and a judge there issued an order saying elections officials should not count certain absentee ballots until a court hearing is held Wednesday.
This is a developing story. Return to richmond.com for updates.
