When you cast your vote, do you ever wonder whether it’s being accurately counted? The League of Women Voters supports election integrity and public confidence in our electoral process. To that end, we applaud the State of Connecticut’s post-election audits and encourage citizens to be volunteer observers when these audits are conducted. For the election that took place on Nov. 7, audits will begin on Nov. 22. After each election in Connecticut, audit locations are chosen by lottery. For example, this October the results of the September primary elections were audited at 5 percent of the polling locations where voting took place. The polling locations were in various municipalities around the state: Bridgeport, Cheshire, Greenwich, New Haven, New London, Newtown, and Stratford. Audit results are analyzed by the University of Connecticut, the Secretary of the State’s Office, and the State Elections Enforcement Commission.
According to Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, “Connecticut boasts one of the strictest audit statutes in the country and was the first state in New England to require a comprehensive audit of primary results.”
Connecticut Citizen Election Audit, a nonprofit organization (not affiliated with the League), provides free training and coordinates citizen observers to be present at the locations on the days when audits are taking place. Those of us who have participated in audit observation have found it rewarding to see democracy in action and gain a better understanding of how Registrars of Voters and poll workers apply their efforts to ensure that every vote counts.
For more information about the audit and what to expect as an audit observer, visit http://ctelectionaudit.org/volunteer-2/ or call 860-918-2115.
Source: Post-election audits are democracy in action – The Hour.