Exploring Election Audits Series

Guides that highlight principles and best practices of several types of election audits.

External link

Intended User

Voting Operations Teams

Election Phase

After an election
Before an election

Office Size

All sizes

Estimated Time to Implement

Ongoing

Authoring Organization

table of contents

The Elections Group’s Exploring Election Audits Series helps election officials apply audit principles and best practices across the election administration process, not only to voting systems and tabulation equipment. The series explores how well-designed audits can increase accuracy, identify opportunities for improvement and strengthen public trust. The guides cover a holistic audit framework as well as practical approaches to ballot management, ballot proofing, mail ballot validation, tabulation and voter list maintenance

The Elections Group created this tool to support achievement of the voluntary, nonpartisan Standards of the US Alliance for Election Excellence.

What you’ll need

Staff responsible for the election process you plan to audit
Your office’s applicable laws, procedures and documentation
Downloads of the Exploring Audits guides

Getting started

The recommendations outlined in these guides are grounded in the belief that there are opportunities to increase accuracy and public trust by auditing everything from the voter registration process to the way that ballots are accounted for and reconciled.

Access the Exploring Election Audits guides which are all available for individual download.

Using the tool

These resources are divided into two parts. This first part gives an overview of the current election audit landscape. It then advocates for a new election audit framework that uses principles and standards developed by a bipartisan group of election officials to develop and conduct high value election audits.

Part Two provides election administrators with standards and methods for implementing high-value election audits. For each audit type, the section provides background information, applicable standards, information on who should conduct the audit and when, and the processes and procedures.

Here is how the sections are divided:

Exploring Audits: Part One
- A Holistic Approach to Auditing Elections
Exploring Audits: Part Two
- Conducting a Ballot Management Audit
- Conducting a Ballot Proofing Audit
- Conducting a Mail Ballot Validation Audit
- Conducting a Tabulation Audit
- Conducting a Voter List Maintenance Audit

Customizing for your office

Any tips for customizing this resource for my office?

These guides provide recommendations for improving how election audits are administered, and it’s encouraged to integrate practices that have been working in your election offices into these recommendations.

How do I know if this resource is helping?

This resource is helping if your office can conduct audits consistently, document what was reviewed, identify and correct issues, and use the findings to improve future election processes.

Which Standards of Excellence does this resource support?

Ballots and Audits

Which Values of Excellence does this resource support? Why?

Values for the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence define our shared vision for the way election departments across the country can aspire to excellence. These values help us navigate the challenges of delivering successful elections and maintaining our healthy democracy.

Alliance values are nonpartisan and designed by local election officials, designers, technologists and other experts to support local election departments.

You may find this tool especially helpful for this Value:

High integrity. Ensuring audit accuracy helps promote voter trust by showing that election processes were conducted as intended.
Continuous improvement. Conducting audits helps identify issues and opportunities to improve operations

To learn more about the Values for Election Excellence, and to see the full list, visit the Alliance website.

Sharing feedback

How was this resource developed?

This resource has been developed based on research, but has yet to be tested with voters or put into practice. Share your experience with this resource and improve it for your peers by reaching out to support@ElectionExcellence.org.

How do I stay in touch?

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Have a specific idea, piece of feedback, or question? Send an email to support@ElectionExcellence.org