Washington Administrative Code
Title 434 - Secretary of State
Chapter 434-261 - Counting center procedures
POST-ELECTION DAY RISK-LIMITING AUDITS
Section 434-261-117 - Conducting a risk-limiting audit
Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
County elections staff must locate and retrieve each randomly selected ballot from the appropriate storage container. This process may be observed according to WAC 434-261-020. County elections staff must verify that the seals on the appropriate storage containers are those recorded on the applicable chain-of-custody logs.
(1) The county auditor will determine the number of audit boards needed to perform the audit and assign two people to each audit board. The audit board(s) will review each randomly selected paper ballot and report voter markings or choices in the designated contests using the risk-limiting audit tool or other means specified by the secretary of state. The audit board(s) must complete the audit of all ballots randomly selected for audit within two business days to allow time for additional ballots to be included if a discrepancy is identified in accordance with RCW 29A.60.185(3).
(2) The audit board(s) must interpret voter markings on ballots selected for audit in accordance with WAC 434-261-086. If the audit board members cannot unanimously agree on the voter's intent, they must indicate the inability to agree in the appropriate contest in the risk-limiting audit tool's audit board user interface, or other means specified by the secretary of state.
(3) In order to maintain voter privacy, the secretary of state will review the results of the audit as presented by the risk-limiting audit tool, and post the summary results of the audit online.
(4) If there is a discrepancy in a target contest that exceeds the risk limit, the risk-limiting audit will continue until the risk limit for the target contest is met or until a full hand count results.
The secretary of state may order a full hand recount of a target contest at the secretary's discretion if that decision would be more efficient than multiple iterations of risk-limiting audit processes.
(5) Each audit board participating in a risk-limiting audit must sign, date, and submit to the secretary of state a report of the results of the risk-limiting audit on the approved form within two business days. The report must include any discrepancies found.
