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UpdateVirginiaFriday, November 6, 2026

Virginia website error briefly showed wrong turnout figure in Williamsburg

A counting error on the state results website sparked false fraud claims on social media.

By the Democracy SENTRY deskPublished

Reporting by
Yahoo
“Virginia election website error sparks unfounded fraud claims”, Friday, November 6, 2026
Read the full story
What happened

A data error on Virginia's official election results website briefly showed voter turnout in Williamsburg City exceeding the number of registered voters. The false figure prompted social media posts claiming Democratic fraud after Democrat Shannon Taylor unseated Republican Rob Wittman in Virginia's 1st Congressional District. Williamsburg Director of Elections Tina Reitzel told AFP on November 5, 2026 that the inflated figure appeared because the system counted each City Council candidate vote as a separate ballot rather than tallying individual voters.1

The error was quickly corrected.1

What it means in Virginia

What this means for Virginia's election results

The State Board of Elections canvasses the results for state and federal offices, determines the winners and issues certificates of election.2 For federal, statewide, General Assembly, and shared offices, the State Board ascertains November results by the first Monday in December.3

Key dates in Virginia

Election Day in -7 days
  1. Fri, Sep 18 · passed
    Early voting begins
  2. Fri, Oct 23 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
  3. Sat, Oct 31 · passed
    Early voting ends
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · passed
    Election Day; Registration deadline
  5. Fri, Nov 6 · passed
    Mail ballots must arrive
  6. Mon, Dec 7 · 27 days
    State certification

Every date in Virginia, and who certifies the election

More on this story
Virginia · Nov 9
Virginia sets December 7 date to certify 2026 election results
Reporting by USA Today
Virginia · Nov 9
Shannon Taylor wins Virginia First District election
Reporting by Rappahannock Record (Northern Neck)
The answers behind this
How votes are counted and made officialVoting in Virginia, 2026Who certifies the election in Virginia, and by when?What is the difference between counting the votes and certifying them?

Explore this issue

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Sources

  1. Yahoo, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxOM2swVFVEUl8zckxzdDJZTk93N3JDY3NHRENucjg3ZDVYQ1pSQXdHdDY0RXdzWFdNQ0dwbk96bmJseENNU1hCZVFVcFQ4T2xKd09zN01hWG9HbDRKa3NIY3NURGZlMWpBV1NWWDJRWWZ1MWVlaWdyYnQwQThxblc1dzMtLWRBRWhhVEtEa3NB?oc=5 · Friday, November 6, 2026
  2. NASS, State Election Canvassing Timeframes and Recount Thresholds, https://www.nass.org/node/2455
  3. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines

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