The El Paso County Elections Department will participate in the statewide Risk Limiting Audit (RLA) Friday, November 16. This sophisticated post-election audit allows officials to compare a sample of paper ballots against digital tallies to verify results were tabulated correctly. Due to the high level of statistical probability, this audit confirms election results have not been manipulated and reassures a level of confidence in testing for election results.
Required by Section 1-7-515(2)(a) of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the RLA is coordinated by the Secretary of State’s Office, and provides strong statistical evidence that the election outcome is consistent with what was counted.
The El Paso County Elections Department and the appointed Audit Board members will audit the ballots determined by the Secretary of State’s Office. The Audit Board is required to locate these specific ballots; review and confirm that the results of those ballots were consistent with what was counted.
El Paso County RLA is open to the public. The Audit Board will convene at the Citizens Service Center, Elections Department at 1 p.m., Friday, November 16, and the audit will begin once the Elections Department and Audit Board members have been given the seed from the Colorado Secretary of State.
Please note that the Secretary of State will conduct a public meeting Friday, November 16, 10 a.m. – noon, to establish the random seed for use with the Secretary of State’s RLA, as required by Election Rule 25.2.2 (h). The seed is a number consisting of at least 20 digits, and each digit will be selected in order by sequential rolls of a 10-sided die. The Secretary of State will publish the seed on the Audit Center (http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/auditCenter.html) immediately after it is established.
Date of RLA: Friday, November 16, 2018 around 1 p.m., pending Secretary of State
Location: Citizens Service Center, 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2202