Lunenburg County Electoral Board approves voting-security plan, keeps April 21 election on track despite court order

The Lunenburg County Electoral Board, chaired by Donna Dagner, approved a voting-security plan and voted to continue preparations for the April 21 special election despite a court order to halt activities, according to the board’s March 4, 2026 minutes.

The action came after the board briefly met in closed session to discuss voting-security matters with the county administrator, a session recorded in the minutes as taken pursuant to the voting-security exemption cited in the minutes (2.2-3711-34) of the Code of Virginia. The board returned to public session, certified by signature that only voting security was discussed, and then approved the plan as presented in closed session. The minutes do not list individual movers, seconders or roll-call vote tallies for these actions.

Later in the meeting the board entered a second closed session to consult with legal counsel about pending litigation affecting the board, again citing the minutes’ statutory exemption (2.2-3711(A)7). After returning to public session and certifying that only pending litigation had been discussed, the board voted to "continue to conduct the activities for the April 21 special election" despite a court order to stop those activities. The minutes explain the board’s rationale: early voting was scheduled to begin March 6, 2026, and stopping activities before that date would have prevented voters from casting ballots during the interim; the minutes also note that if a court later rules the election should not be held, any results would be nullified automatically.

The minutes record the board’s formal approvals but do not name who made or seconded the motions, nor do they provide a roll-call vote. The document shows the board reviewed and signed the minutes of its previous meeting and recorded approval of routine items.

In other business, the board discussed newly approved changes to the county travel, lodging, meal and expense reimbursement policy and reviewed responses from election officials to their 2026 appointments; the minutes note that some precinct adjustments will be required for certain elections. The General Registrar reported that a full written report is on file at the Registrar’s office for public inspection, and the board discussed training dates for the April 24 election along with several vendor training options for new equipment. The board also held preliminary discussion about preparations for an August 4 dual primary.

The meeting adjourned at 5:55 PM. The minutes include signature lines for Chairman Donna Dagner, Vice Chair Alexander Harmon and Secretary Oliver Wright.