Post-election audit confirms vote results


On Nov. 9, five Jones County citizens took part in a random post-election audit. In the Courthouse Community Room, they hand-counted ballots from the Fairview polling site. Clockwise from left are Doug Edel, Anamosa; Diane Fountain, Martelle; Rosalie Ahrendsen, Oxford Junction; Don Folkerts, Anamosa; and Judy Huntsberger, Monticello. (Photo submitted)

     On Friday, Nov. 9, five citizens from Jones County, each registered as members of either the Democratic or Republican political parties, met at the Jones County Courthouse in Anamosa to conduct a post-election audit of the votes cast at the Fairview Precinct at the Nov. 6 General Election. Volunteer observers from both parties, as well as the County Auditor and Elections Deputy, were also in attendance.

     Two days earlier the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office randomly selected one precinct from each county in the state to be the subject of the audit. The audit team hand counted the votes cast for the office of Governor/Lt. Governor on the 594 ballots cast at the Fairview polling site on Election Day. The team’s hand-counted results were then compared to those reported by the ballot tabulator results tape generated at the polls on election night. Jones County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Janine Sulzner reports that the results matched exactly, and stated that this is the outcome all voters and election officials should expect, and should strengthen the confidence Jones County voters have in the integrity of the election process.

     Extensive testing of the ballot tabulators is conducted by the Auditor’s Office in advance of every election to assure that the tabulators are accurately recording the votes from the paper ballots.     

 

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