OH: New Blackwell Directive: No More RANDOM recounts

[mod mom]

Randomness in recounts (2004) per se was addressed in an outline distributed by the SoS about a year ago.  To the best of my knowledge that outline was forwarded to BOEs as part of a directive or memo from the SoS. Unfortunately, the section of the SpS website containing directives and memoranda is now password protected.  I cannot provide a link. That document (the outline) contains the requirement:


The board must randomly select whole precincts whose total equals at least 3% of the total vote. These precincts’ ballots must be manually counted.


It appears on page 5 of the outline in the sections for both punch cards and optical scan (marked as “d”).  

This year Blackwell issued Directive No. 2005-32, November 17, 2005, which contains the following:


The board must select one or more whole precincts whose total equals at least 3% of the total vote and must manually count those precincts' ballots. Selection method need not be mathematically random . If the recount involves only one precinct, a manual count shall be conducted.

Me: do you realize what he has done here? They won't even let us do random recounts . How does he get away with these directives? What does mathematically random mean?