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Elections Defined: Post-Election Audits Allow for Spot-Checks

State law determines exactly what kind of post-election audit is used well before an election takes place.

By Wendy Underhill  |  June 20, 2024

Elections Defined Video Series

This series of short videos features NCSL Director of Elections and Redistricting Wendy Underhill talking about some of the key steps of election administration you may not have heard of—from ballot curing to voter list maintenance to what it means to be a poll worker, and everything in between. View the complete series. 

What is an audit? It’s a way to spot-check any process or procedure. What is a post-election tabulation audit? It’s a way to spot-check that voting equipment used to count votes worked properly and accurately.

State law determines exactly what kind of post-election audit is used well before an election takes place.

One more thing: Tabulation isn’t the only thing that can be audited in an election. Voter rolls can be audited, too, along with just about every other aspect of election administration. It’s all about making lists and checking them twice or more.

Ready for more election administration answers? View the complete series for info on the topics below. Still have questions? More details can be found on these and other topics through NCSL’s election resources.

  • Ballot Duplication.
  • Ballot Collecting.
  • Ballot Curing. 
  • Provisional Ballots.
  • Pre-Processing Ballots.
  • Poll workers vs. Poll Watchers.
  • Post-election Audits.
  • Canvassing and Certification.
  • Results Reporting.
  • Voter ID.
  • Voter Registration List Maintenance.