Seems to be a grey area on that...are they counted or not? Nobody knows!
from the VA Election Code:
"D. Absentee ballots may be processed as required by § 24.2-711 by the officers of election at the central absentee voter precinct prior to the closing of the polls but the ballot container shall not be opened and the counting of ballots shall not begin prior to that time. In the case of punch card or mark sense ballots to be inserted in electronic counting equipment, the ballot container may be opened and the absentee ballots may be inserted in the counting equipment prior to the closing of the polls in accordance with procedures prescribed by the State Board, including procedures to preserve ballot secrecy, but no ballot count totals shall be initiated prior to that time.
As soon as the polls are closed in the county or city the officers of election at the central absentee voter precinct shall proceed to ascertain and record the vote given by absentee ballot and report the results in the manner provided for counting and reporting ballots generally in Article 4 (§ 24.2-643 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of this title. "
The Secretary of State's website shows which precincts had counted their absentees and which had not. Not all had counted them. The same website shows that some localities had precincts were which not accounted for. One of those "lost" ballot boxes contained my son's vote. My son was voter #400 at 8 AM in a conservative town so I know that there are more disenfranished votes besides his.