Perriello certified in 5th district race

By Susan Gibbs, Record Reporter
Published: December 3, 2008

Tom Perriello has been certified as the new congressman for the 5th District, ousting incumbent Virgil Goode by a margin of 745 votes.
The State Board of Elections certified the November 4 election results Monday. Goode immediately called for a recount.
The entire recount process, says Greene County Registrar Sandra Shifflett, could take about a month.
In the meantime, Perriello’s camp holds that “the citizens of the fifth district have spoken.“
“Every vote has been counted and certified, and (the citizens) have elected Tom Perriello to be their new representative in Washington,“ stated Perriello’s press secretary, Jessica Barba, in a news release.
Virginia law provides for a recount in any election where the vote difference between the candidates is one percent or less. 
The vote difference between Perriello and Goode is 0.23 percent.
“In an election this close … a recount is an important protection for voters,“ wrote the Goode campaign.  “It ensures that each ballot that was lawfully cast in the Election is counted, and that the votes are accurately tallied.  It also gives us a chance to ensure that each candidate’s tally is comprised only of votes that were properly and lawfully cast.“
But Barba stated: “We respect … Goode’s right to ask for a recount … (but) … the official vote canvassing process that took place in the days immediately following the election was extensive, thorough, and overseen by representatives of both parties.“