Rhode Island’s General Assembly is currently considering legislation that would mandate post-election audits. The evaluations are conducted in order to ensure that equipment and procedures used to count votes during an election worked properly and also to ensure public confidence in the results. According to the Secretary of State’s office, 29 states and the District of Columbia require a post-election audit; typically the process is done by hand counting the results, usually by a random sampling of precincts.
If the bill passes the legislature, the R.I. Board of Elections would be responsible for determining which races are audited, conducting the audits within seven days after the election, and making the results available to the public.
… Bob Rapoza, interim director at the R.I. Board of Elections, told Eyewitness News that his office already conducts random audits, but if this legislation passes state law would then require them. The legislation doesn’t specify exactly how the audits should be conducted, but Rapoza said that would be up to the full board to decide.
Full Article: Legislators consider making post-election audits law in RI | WPRI 12 Eyewitness News.