WAYNESBORO, Virginia — In a recent court decision, a judge has mandated two local election officials to proceed with certifying the election results following a lawsuit initiated by the officials themselves. This lawsuit, filed last month, expressed their reluctance to certify unless provisions were made for hand-counting the ballots.

Curtis Lilly, the chair of the Waynesboro Election Board, and Vice Chair Scott Mares raised concerns that election personnel lacked direct access to the votes reported by ballot-counting machines, making it impossible for them to independently verify the “secret canvass” generated by these machines.

In response to this situation, five registered voters took legal action with a separate lawsuit aimed at compelling the officials to ensure the election results were validated, claiming that failing to do so would disenfranchise them. They emphasized that the election officials have no authority over the certification process, as that responsibility lies with the precinct-level officers. This group highlighted that the use of voting machines is sanctioned by the Virginia Constitution and mandated by state regulations.

On Monday, Judge Paul Dryer ruled that the officials must proceed with certifying the election results, stating, “The concerns that the Defendants raise regarding the security and accuracy of the electoral process are best raised via the legislative process.” He further noted that individual beliefs of local election board members should not obstruct the electoral process on a broader scale.

Thomas Ranieri, legal counsel for the officials, indicated their willingness to comply with the judge’s order, referring to them as “law-abiding citizens.” This ruling, however, does not resolve the initial lawsuit, which continues to be active.

Evidence suggests that hand-counting ballots is typically more susceptible to mistakes compared to automated machine tabulation, in addition to being more expensive and delaying the reporting of results. This issue has gained traction among election conspiracy advocates nationwide, particularly following false claims made by former President Donald Trump asserting that the previous election had been stolen.