Northern Virginia Registrar Reversed: Military Absentee Ballots to Be Counted

Two days ago I noted the downplayed coverage the Washington Post devoted to a Fairfax County, Va., registrar tossing aside military absentee ballots. Rokey Suleman II, a Democrat who had previously lived in Ohio and unsuccessfully ran for officer there, was alone among Old Dominion registrars in throwing aside military absentee ballots for lack of witness signatures and addresses.

While the mainstream media were not concerned, conservative blogs, RedState chief among them, led the charge to pressure Suleman to back down.

A few moments ago I received an e-mail from RedState Editor Erick Erickson declaring victory, noting that the Fairfax County Board of Elections has overruled Suleman (emphases Erickson's):

I have heard from thousands of people across the country who called Rokey Suleman, the Fairfax County, VA Registrar, to ask him to count military absentee ballots.

Unfortunately, Mr. Suleman emailed back many of you and said he was just doing his job. He said he was just following the law.

Rokey must know something we don't know. And something that the State Board of Elections doesn't know, because they have told him the votes should be counted. Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell said the votes should be counted. And even Barack Obama's campaign thinks the votes should be counted.

Only Rokey Suleman thinks that he is following the law. And in his moment of bravery, he has been throwing our soldiers under the bus.

I'm pleased to report to you that the Fairfax County Board of Elections has now decided that Mr. Suleman must comply with the law and the votes of our soldiers and sailors will be counted.

Thank you so much for calling, writing, and insisting that our soldiers and sailors' votes be counted.