Officials: Youngkin’s underage son tried to vote

RICHMOND — A juvenile son of Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin tried twice to cast a ballot Tuesday, election officials said Friday.

The 17-year-old son presented an ID but was told he was ineligible to vote and turned away, according to a statement from Scott Konopasek, Fairfax County’s general registrar. The statement said the teen did not vote, made no false statements, did not disrupt voting and appeared to have committed “no election offense.”

The statement mentioned Youngkin’s son by name, saying the identification was based on contemporaneous notes by the chief election officer.

The news was first reported by The Washington Post. Associated Press is not naming the son because he is a juvenile.

A spokesman for Youngkin, who campaigned heavily on election integrity, said the son misunderstood Virginia’s laws.

“It’s unfortunate that while Glenn attempts to unite the Commonwealth ... his political opponents — mad that they suffered historic losses this year — are pitching opposition research on a 17-year old kid who honestly misunderstood Virginia election law and simply asked polling officials if he was eligible to vote; when informed he was not, he went to school,” Devin O’Malley said in a statement.

Virginia law allows any person who is 17 and will be 18 by Election Day to register in advance and vote in any intervening primary or special election.

Jennifer Chanty, a precinct captain, told The Washington Post she encountered the son, who left after initially being told he was too young to vote. She said he returned a short time later, saying a friend who was also 17 had been allowed to cast a ballot.