Reply #170: Skeeno, you are missing something ....

[rhite5]

The original hand counting should take place at the precinct where the typical number of ballots is 300-700. Easily do-able in a couple of hours, especially if the Presidential Race is on a separate ballot from other issues and races.

The counting is done twice with observers and a clerk to tally the results. Ideally, the counting is done by volunteers from the community. This is the whole idea of "the vote of the people." The people are in charge. The counting process can also be filmed just in case it is needed. The results are also tied in to the total number of signatures of people signing in on the poll book. Any difference must be accounted for right there and then.

If there is difference of opinion among the counters about voter intent on a ballot, it gets referred to a committee. If two successive counts do not agree, a third count will be done.

The results are made public immediately.

The ballots themselves never need to be looked at again unless a recount is demanded by a candidate. They just go into a locked bag.


The county pulls together the results from all the precincts in the county. Others will do that as well. Some will even put the figures up on a web page. We can all check the accumulating totals for the county.

We know the county will make adjustments for Military Votes and other Absentee Votes and we understand that. The county must show how many votes of these types came from voters associated with each precinct, and locals can tell if the figures seem realistic. But we know we have an accurate total for all the votes that were actually cast at the precincts, and that constitutes the bulk of the votes cast in any election.

From there to the state level, it is just a matter of adding up the certified results from all the counties.

The "audit trail" is there with subtotals at every level. Total County recounts would never be necessary. We would know if a county left out some precincts or whatever.

What I am trying to say is --- the total population of the whole country has NOTHING to do with this problem and is a red herring.