STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Step 1: Pre-Audit Prep

VSTOP meets and works with county personnel to:

  • detail the pre, during, and post-audit process
  • generate County Election Board Audit Resolution
  • select contests to audit
  • prepare the ballot manifest with VVPAT rolls
  • construct tracking sheet

Step 2: Estimate Ballot Sample Size

VSTOP enters the following information in the Stark Audit Tool to generate an estimated sample size:

  • total ballot cast in the elections
  • contest name
  • candidate names and reported vote totals for each candidate
  • the intended risk-limit

Step 3: Public Audit Presentation

VSTOP Team will give a presentation to all members both participating and observing the audit. This is to give additional information and context to those unfamiliar with post-election audits.

Step 4: Generate Audit Seed Number

VSTOP, county personnel, and observers of the audit roll a 10-sided die to generate a 20 digit seed number. This seed number will assist the Audit Tool in generating a live-time random sample of ballots to be inspected.

Step 5: Generate Random Sample of Ballots

VSTOP Audit Team enters ballot manifest/inventory into the Audit Tool to obtain the sample and location of ballots needed for audit.

Step 6: Organize Sample of Ballots

VSTOP Audit Team and county election personnel label all VVPAT rolls selected for audit and organize rolls to effectively inspect contest selections.

Step 7: Conduct Ballot Inspection

At least one VSTOP Audit Team member and one county election personnel review the CVR and VVPAT to ensure that both records match for each audited contest.

Step 8: Track Ballot Inspection

After each ballot has been inspected, VSTOP Audit Team records and tracks whether each inspected ballot’s CVR and VVPAT matched.

Steps 7 & 8 are repeated until all ballots initially selected for sample are inspected.

Step 9: Conclusion of Audit

VSTOP’s Audit Specialist enters tracking sheet information into Audit Tool. As long as 100% of all inspected ballots have a CVR to VVPAT match, the audit can be considered successfully completed. They will announce preliminary audit findings and the achieved confidence level in the reported election outcomes for each audited contest.

Step 10: Publish Results

VSTOP’s Audit Specialist will formally report all audit activities for each county’s respective post-election audit. The official report will summarize the pre-audit process, explain the execution of the audit, and present audit results. This report is reviewed and signed by the Indiana Election Director and published to the VSTOP and SOS websites.