Reply #19: Well if you are supporting a hand count of at least 2% of precincts,

[Bill Bored]

are you also saying this isn't scalable to more precincts? Because I don't see why it's not.

I know the HR 550 audit may be limited to the three federal offices, but it does provide the option for the states to allow local races to be audited as well.

So if you can count every vote in 2% of precincts, why can't you do more than that?

There will always be some percentage of races where the 2% audit is inadequate to confirm the outcome. In 2004, there were about 60 in the US House alone according to some back of the envelope calculations I've done. That doesn't mean they have to be 100% hand counted, but a happy medium between the minimum and the whole enchilada could be developed. I don't think hand counting a significant percentage of 60 Congressional districts out of 435 is too much to ask with complete control of a whole House of Congress at stake -- every committee, the Speaker, subpoena power, etc. do you -- hypothetically speaking?