WAYNESBORO, Va. (WHSV) – Waynesboro Circuit Court Judge Paul Dryer issued an order Monday requiring the Waynesboro Board of Elections to certify the results of the November 2024 election after two board members filed a lawsuit against state election officials.

Waynesboro Board of Elections Chairman Curtis G. Lilley II and Vice Chairman Scott Mares had previously said that the voting machines violate the Virginia Constitution because they count votes “in secret” and that They would refuse to certify the election. if no manual count was performed. Five residents then filed a countersuit. urging a judge to ensure board members fulfilled their duties to certify the election, accusing Lilley and Mares of threatening election security.

Now, Dryer has ordered that the election be certified, giving the following reason in his opinion letter:

“The concerns they (Mares and Lilley) raise regarding the security and accuracy of the electoral process are best raised through the legislative process, where the legislative and executive branches approve any necessary changes,” Dryer wrote. “The personal beliefs of members of a local electoral board cannot derail the Commonwealth-wide electoral process.”

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