George, some local recount history involving candidates from Albemarle County.

In 1981 the local House of Delegates race had a recount between 5-term incumbent Jim Murray and 2nd time challenger George Allen.

Allen's slim margin held through the recount, retiring the great Jim and Bunny Murray and beginning Allen's 25-year political career as state delegate, US congressman, state governor, and US Senator.

Ten years later in 1991 Allen went to Congress. The two candidates running to replace him in the General Assembly, C. Timothy Lindstrom and the Rev. Peter Way, ran head-to-head. Tim won the official certified tally by 7 votes. Rev. Way asked for a recount.

Slim it was, those seven votes, but life doesn't pause for recounts. Lindstrom and his AA (the writer) were obliged to go through the General Assembly's registration, training, and indoctrination programs, and make arrangements for living in Richmond for the 1992 legislative session.

It fell to me to be in charge of the Dec. 23 recount for Lindstrom. To everyone's shock, we discovered a malfunctioning voting machine in Greene County. The outcome was reversed and it was Way, not Lindstrom, who went to Richmond.

When they opened the errant voting machine I took this photo of the counters. Way has 211, Tim 169. If you see holes in the photo, it's because I use it for target practice.

Rey Barry (Electronic mail, November 24, 2008)