FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — An unprecedented army of Republican elections observers found no fraud in Democratic strongholds, like Fairfax County, during Virginia's general election Tuesday, according to organizer GOP county party vice-chairman Sean Rastatter.
Rastatter said the county party trained and fielded at least 800 observers.
Rastatter said in the wake of a GOP victory with no evidence of fraud it remains important to keep a close eye on local election authorities because so many voters have lost confidence.
Fairfax County’s General Registrar Scott O. Konopasek blames former President Trump's false claims about election fraud for eroding trust in elections authorities.
Konopasek estimated that, in the end, there were more than 1,000 Republicans who were activated, compared to Democrats, who he said fielded "dozens to maybe 100."
GOP volunteer poll watcher Chris Henzel said he witnessed no apparent cheating.
"I think there were a few points there might have been some confusion, but from what I can tell, it seemed like people were working in good faith to try to keep things straight," Henzel said.
Rastatter said it remains important to continue the poll-watching effort.
"Our voters need to know that when I go and cast that vote, that that vote will actually get counted and end up being part of that final vote total,” Rastatter said.
"Whether it's perceived or whether it's reality, personally, I don't think that distinction matters," Rastatter said as he explained that poll watching restores confidence needed to keep voters of both parties coming to the polls.
But the county's elections administrator called the poll-watching effort unprecedented.
"What's interesting, though, is almost all of them left between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. when they saw that the race was going their way," Konopasek said. "I guess they trusted the results better then."
Konopasek said his office has accommodated GOP observers since May and that operations were affected.
"They make it clear to the staff that they're not trusted, and that 'we're going to catch them.' And they just put that kind of scrutiny on folks that make them uncomfortable. It makes them less efficient. It's demoralizing. It's a little bit insulting for public employees to be treated that way. So they take up a lot of our time and they take up a lot of our emotional energy.”