CLICK ON IMAGE OR DOWNLOAD THE FILE FOR SIMPLE SLIDE SHOW OF THE PROCESS.
hand_count_white_paper_2-18-24.pdf |
THE COUNTING PROCESS
- The process described in the above white paper has been tried and tested to be fast, efficient and accurate. Using this procedure in a precinct level hand count would take only two teams of four bipartisan election judge counters to count throughout the day, or split it into two half day shifts. Colorado allows for the counting of ballots to start at 8am using rotating ballot boxes. The average size of a precinct in Colorado is 3,000 people, and counting as the votes come in throughout the day, it is achievable to have results no later than midnight, if not by 8pm.
- The challenge is the numerous ballot "styles". A ballot style determines which district you live in, there are district specific races for school, fire, water etc., so to eliminate the sorting of ballot styles, the counting needs to take place at the precinct level voting center. Hand counting a mail in election, or central voting center election would create a logistical problem sorting out the different ballot styles.
- The white paper write up includes the technical information needed to video record, which could also be live streamed for the public, which would be a visual audit in itself of the count which could be reviewed. Colorado law does not require this video record at this time.
- To be clear, Colorado law does mandates the use of electronic voting equipment in the tabulation of our ballots for counties with over 1,000 registered electors. All 64 counties in Colorado use at least one electronic tabulator. There are still a few statutes on the book on how to conduct a hand counted election, and should there be a long term internet or power interruption, hand counting would have to be utilized to conduct the election. Once again, Colorado is an all mail in ballot state with only 3% of voters voting at central voting centers so the first step would be to sort the hundreds of thousands of ballots into the hundreds of different Ballot Styles.