– Maryland post-election result audits
– Maryland election result audits begin.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland’s commitment to upholding the sanctity of election outcomes involves a comprehensive audit process that encompasses the aggregation, certification, and reporting of election results. The transparency embedded within these audit mechanisms aims to dispel any misconceptions or misinformation that may arise. Through these audit procedures, any inaccuracies in the initial reported election results can be rectified with verified precision.
On the night of the election, the results from each certified ballot scanner are transmitted by local election officials to an election night reporting network. These election night results are preliminary and not yet official. They are automatically published on the State Board’s website. The subsequent day, to mitigate the possibility of errors, Maryland mandates a 100% verification audit of the election results upload process. This meticulous process entails uploading the results onto a certified internal network and cross-referencing them with the unofficial results and log reports. Any discrepancies detected prompt a thorough investigation.
Following the 100% verification audit, an independent third-party entity undertakes a separate automated audit that relies solely on their software to tally ballot images and validate vote counts. The outcomes of this independent tabulation are then compared against the tabulation results generated by the voting system. The post-election tabulation audit utilises ballot images, leveraging the technological capabilities of the new voting system to minimise human error and eliminate chain of custody concerns. By securely storing ballot images instead of physical ballots, the audit process enhances accuracy and transparency. The results of this audit are accessible on the SBE’s website.
On the 15th of May, subsequent to the posting of unofficial election night results on the State Board’s website, local election boards initiated post-election verification audits of the results. Recently, during the 100% verification audit, it was identified that the Baltimore City results in the unofficial election night reports did not align with the figures in the certified internal reporting system. This anomaly triggered an immediate investigation by the local board in collaboration with the State Board to pinpoint the root cause of the disparity. The review involves repeating the verification audit process to ensure accurate representation of the ballots cast on Election Day.
Following a thorough investigation by the State Board and Baltimore City Board of Elections, it was ascertained that the unofficial election night reports for Baltimore City had overreported the number of votes cast by approximately 590 votes due to human error. This discrepancy has been rectified, and both boards are confident that all canvassed votes have been accurately aggregated and tabulated. The forthcoming post-election audit of ballot images, a standard practice in Maryland after every election, will corroborate the accuracy of the results.
The prompt identification and resolution of the issue by the State Board underscore the significance of post-election result verification and audits in Maryland’s electoral process. These verification processes are pivotal in maintaining the integrity of the voting system. Voters can have faith that their votes have been accurately counted, a fact that will be validated through the post-election audit procedures.
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