Vienna Elections: Tuesday, May 5th

The official term for that approach to voting is "plunking". The Post just ran an article on the Republicans in Alexandria sending out thousands of mailings featuring "Plunkee the Elephant" urging people not to use all six of their votes in the city council elections. The quote from the Democrats:

"It makes a mockery of democracy," said Susan Kellom, chair of the city's Democratic Party, which is running six candidates, five of them incumbents. "It's a cynical attempt to have one of their people come in sixth."

The article is at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/02/AR2009050202116.html

Perhaps "plunkee" should be illegal. If so then letting one fifth of the voting population make the Council choices should also be illegal.

Nothing wrong with voting for one person. It's legal and with competition in Vienna's election, trying to maximize votes for one person, it's the obvious choice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_voting

I obviously do not live in Alexandria but why are the Dems so upset about bullet voting? Being forced to vote for candidates you do not support is just plain wrong. How is that freedom? Freedom is letting people decide their own fate in the voting booth.

Remember, if you are a resident of Vienna, of legal age, and a registered voter, you can vote for yourself as a write-in. Think of how this would look on a resume that you ran for public office.

Fed Up, I thought you hit the nail on the head and brought up an important point. Anyone registered to vote for Natinal, State or County officials are also eligible to vote in the Vienna election. No separate registration is necessary. Perhaps this fact is not known and the reason a lot of citizens of Vienna do not vote.

Fed Up- Voting for yourself as a write in does not equate to running for public office.

Ruminator- the reason a lot of citizens in Vienna do not vote is because they are simply not motivated. They are reasonably satisfied with the status quo, and trust the minority who do vote to make the best decision.

Turnout should be OK, there is a contested election this year. On the other hand, there's no lightning-rod issues like immigration was in Herndon a few years back.

When I voted the clientel looked like they were bussed in from the area nursing homes. How come the old people vote? A statement recently overheard about politics was: Give it to the young, they are the ones who will be using it. If the old will not give it to the young and the young will not take it then the young will have to live with it. Just remember that Merrifield does not vote in Vienna. Viva Merrifield, downtown Vienna.

From the Town website -- recount!!!:

The following are the unofficial results of the May 5 Town Council election. These results have not been certified. Laurie DiRocco - 969, George Lovelace - 880, Howard Springsteen - 793, Dan Dellinger - 792, Mike Gadell - 510. A total of 1,518 Vienna residents voted in this election out of 11,169 registered voters, a 13.6% voter turnout.

I think we ought to put a petition for camera's in the Council. Let's see who these "new"people are! I suspect they are just a younger version of Jane and Maud.

CRAP! THIS WAS THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR VIENNA! NOTHING NEW IS GOING TO GO ON HERE NOW.

I voted for Howard Stern..my boss. I hope he wins!

Vienna Election Cliffhanger
Sandhya Somashekhar

Incumbent George Lovelace and challenger Laurie DiRocco won two of the three seats up in today's Vienna town election, according to unofficial results from the Fairfax County Office of Elections.

One vote separates the third and fourth place candidates, incumbent Dan Dellinger and and challenger Howard Springsteen. Springsteen is ahead with 793 votes, but there was one provisional ballot cast, and Fairfax County officials will not determine its validity until tomorrow under Virginia law.

If it's a tie, the Board of Elections will flip a coin, draw a name out of a hat or otherwise determine the winner. Really.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2009/05/vienna_election_cliffhanger.html

Laurie DiRocco - 969, George Lovelace - 880, Howard Springsteen - 793, Dan Dellinger - 792, Mike Gadell - 510. A total of 1,518 Vienna residents voted in this election out of 11,169 registered voters, a 13.6% voter turnout.

Town Election Results (ToV website)

The following are the unofficial results of the May 5 Town Council election. These results have not been certified. Laurie DiRocco - 969, George Lovelace - 880, Howard Springsteen - 793, Dan Dellinger - 792, Mike Gadell - 510. A total of 1,518 Vienna residents voted in this election out of 11,169 registered voters, a 13.6% voter turnout

In Vienna, five candidates, including two incumbents, ran for three at-large seats on the Town Council. A key issue was maintaining the town's character as Tysons Corner is transformed with the coming of Metro's Silver Line.

That contest was a cliffhanger. Unofficial results showed that incumbent George E. Lovelace and challenger Laurie A. DiRocco secured two of the three seats up for election, but the third remained too close to call.

Although challenger Howard J. Springsteen held a one-vote lead over incumbent Dan M. Dellinger, one provisional ballot was cast and could not be examined until this morning under Virginia law.

"I grew up in New Jersey. A lot of races got decided by one or two votes," Springsteen said shortly after the vote totals were released. "I guess we won't know until tomorrow."

The voter whose ballot is in question had requested an absentee ballot but voted in person instead. Elections officials will determine the validity of the vote this morning. If the race ends in a tie, the Fairfax County Board of Elections will choose the winner "by lot," or by chance. In the past, county officials have broken ties by flipping a coin and by drawing a name out of a hat.

Lovelace served two decades as a Town Council member, and DiRocco is chairman of the planning commission. Dellinger has served one full term on the council, and Springsteen is president of the volunteer fire department. Mike J. Gadell, a Marriott executive, came in fifth.

From the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/05/AR2009050502344_2.html?sid=ST2009050502471

13% of the registered voters in Vienna responded. This town deserves what it gets.

Want modivation? When I voted in west Tennessee, I got a half pint of burbon for voting "right". Try that here in Vienna and then check the voters turning out.

Where are you HV??

From the Town site: http://www.viennava.gov/news.htm

Town Election Results

The following are the unofficial results of the May 5 Town Council election. These results have not been certified. Laurie DiRocco - 969, George Lovelace - 880, Howard Springsteen - 793, Dan Dellinger - 792, Mike Gadell - 510. A total of 1,518 Vienna residents voted in this election out of 11,169 registered voters, a 13.6% voter turnout. Citizens who have questions about the election should contact the Fairfax County Office of the Electoral Board at 703-324-4735.

For better or worse, we apparently managed to get rid of one incumbent ... (Wash Post article)

Springsteen Wins Close Vienna Race
Howard Springsteen edged out incumbent Dan Dellinger in last night's close election for Vienna Town Council, according to Fairfax County results.

Springsteen was ahead of Dellinger by a vote last night, but the results were too close to call because of a provisional ballot that could not be counted until this morning. The ballot was deemed valid, and it threw another vote to Springsteen, who declared victory this morning with a two-vote lead over Dellinger.

"I have a lot of respect for Dan Dellinger," Springsteen said today. "It shows every vote counts."

Springsteen, a New Jersey native with a dog named Boss, is not related to "the Boss."