BradBlog: L.A. Registrar 'Not Closed to Idea' of 'Pilot Project' to Hand-Count Paper Ballots

[Wilms]

L.A. Registrar 'Not Closed to Idea' of 'Pilot Project' to Hand-Count Paper Ballots

BRAD BLOG Asks Dean Logan and Leon County, FL's Ion Sancho About Experimental Election Night Program for Small Number of Precincts

Q&A's on That and a Few Other Points of Note, Documented on Video During Recent Appearance in Los Angeles by Both Election Officials...

BY Brad Friedman

7/30/2008

I had the opportunity to ask an important question of both the legendary Leon County (Tallahassee), FL, Supervisor of Elections, Ion Sancho, and Los Angeles County's no-longer-interim Registrar of Voters, Dean Logan, last week here in Los Angeles.

snip

Of most important note, I wanted to know if either of them would commit to a hand-count of ballots in a handful of precincts this November, on an experimental basis, on Election Night. The count, in such a "pilot program" as I described it, needn't be the official count, but could later be compared to the results as reported by both counties' optical-scanners, since both L.A. and Leon County use paper ballots for their non-disabled voters.

As I've advocated to a few other election officials in the past, hand-counting in this small, experimental way would help us all to begin to compile data about the effectiveness --- or even, lack thereof --- of transparent, polling-place based HCPB (Hand-Counted Paper Ballots) on Election Night, as many Election Integrity advocates have called for...

While HCPB is still done in a few, often smaller jurisdictions around the country --- perhaps most notably, and successfully, in some 40% of New Hampshire precincts --- the practice has been routinely dismissed by doubters who charge that hand-counting at the polling place is impractical in large jurisdictions (e.g., Los Angeles, the country's largest) or in places which have lengthy ballots with many candidates and ballot initiates (eg. California).

snip

Hand-counting in a handful of precincts around the country this November, on an experimental test basis in such pilot programs, would allow us to begin to compile data as to the effectiveness and accuracy of HCPB. Doing so in a number of counties and in a number of states is, as I see it, a rather reasonable and practical step to take, if the necessity of citizen ownership, oversight, and transparency in elections is ever to be fully realized.

I have no idea what the results, good or bad, might be. That's why such experiments are necessary and, as I see it, quite reasonable. As a framer, and original signer of the Creekside Declaration, calling for "citizen ownership of transparent, participatory democracy," I'd heartily encourage such pilot programs all across the U.S. this year.

snip

While Logan declined to commit to such a pilot program then and there, understandably, he responded that he's "not closed to that idea" and further pointed out that he's carried out such experiments in the past.

"I'm not gonna stand here and make a commitment to a specific pilot project, tonight," he said. "But what I will say is I have a history, both here and in my previous work in Washington, of doing pilot projects. So I'm not closed to that idea."

snip/much more and a video

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6233

[Bill Bored]

1. Great idea! Even if they don't do EVERY contest, it could be a form of "audit."

California does one. FL says they will this year. Both kind of suck though and neither state will do them on Election Night.

So I would suggest that if there is such a pilot project, maybe it should actually be based on trying to confirm (or deny) the outcome of an actual election. This can be done with relatively small hand counts in contests with wide margins, despite some of the popular mythology to the contrary about it. It would have to be done for a local election though, because you can't tell much about a statewide race in a single county.

On the other hand, you could do it with a really close election, and agree beforehand that if discrepancies are found, more precincts should be hand counted, or that the ballots should be secured and hand counted later.

Anyway, it seems like a positive step.

[eomer]

3. The Florida audit doesn't just "kind of suck", it sucks big time.

Not only is the audit not on election night, by law it can't be done until after results are certified. Each county selects just one race randomly and only counts at least 1% but not more than 2%. And, finally, it has no teeth whatsoever -- the only consequence, even if the audit shows totally anomalous results, is a report being prepared. Certified results, even if known to be highly questionable, stand.

Florida SOS Browning would surely fight against any such pilot project and would probably win. He'd probably even be right since the ruling by the Florida appeals court in Browning's lawsuit against the new Sarasota County audit provision actually makes sense -- that Florida law preempts any county's laws with regard to the procedures for counting votes. The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments on this Sarasota County case in May '08 and should rule some time soon.

Assuming that the Supreme Court upholds the appeals court and strikes down the Sarasota referendum audit (which I bet they will) then the only recourse is to change Florida law. That's what we need to do anyway since Sarasota is the only county, I believe, that has tried anything like this.

[kster]

2. K&Rnt