Probe ends of Richmond Electoral Board members
Jeremy M. Lazarus | 6/2/2022, 6 p.m.
The two Democratic members of the Richmond Electoral Board are keeping their posts following a lengthy probe into their handling of the 2000 presidential election during the COVID-19pandemic. They are James M. Nachman, who chairs the board, and Joyce K. Smith, vice chair, who was re-elected in February.
The probe was launched after the Richmond City Republican Committee filed complaints in 2021 about the handling of the official tabulation of results following the election after the registrar’s operation was shut down as the result of an outbreak of COVID.
An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found “irregularities” but not substantial enough to file criminal or civil charges, according to the State Board of Elections.
The irregularities, which did not affect the count, included “invading absentee ballot envelopes, tabulating results without a quorum and removing election materials from the registrar’s office,” the state board reported.
Mr. Nachman and Ms. Smith, who both denied any wrongdoing in seeking to get results completed after the shutdown, were required to undergo refresher training, which they reported as completed to the state board earlier this week.
