Southeastern Virginia voters chose new people to serve on governing boards and in top jobs Tuesday, and the Virginia Beach election results were still unofficial as of 11 p.m. while the count was being reported. The numbers will not be final until Dec. 7.
For some voters, the choice came down to the cost of living. Bob Oberosler voted at the East Ocean View Community Center in Norfolk and said his decision was shaped by a mix of national, state and local issues, including a proposed 1% sales tax increase to help pay for school construction. He said he was not ready to agree to raising taxes for that, and added that he had strong views on a couple of constitutional provisions and thought it mattered to vote in any federal election.
Krystol Greene voted at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach and said the price of everything was top of mind. She said you cannot complain and not do anything about it, and that it was time for residents to make their voices heard. Her comments reflected a larger mood in Hampton Roads and Virginia Beach, where voters were weighing local offices and governing boards alongside the pressures of everyday expenses.
The election also carried a quieter dispute at some polling places. The Department of Justice asked to send observers inside Virginia Beach polling places before the vote, but the Virginia Beach Electoral Board denied that request. Federal monitors still showed up outside some polling places, and state election officials said they were legally allowed to do so.
What remains now is the final count. The results reported Tuesday night may point to who won in Virginia Beach and the rest of Hampton Roads, but the official record will not be set until certification on Dec. 7.
