Why should candidates petition for a recount?

Recounts are an excellent way to audit the entire system. 

Some specific reasons that might be cited: 

• The optical scan machines do not always register voter intent, such as when a voter circles the name of a candidate.

• The pre-election testing of the voting machines often does not include an overvote or crossover vote in the contest of interest.

• Absentee ballots are often erroneously rejected or accepted by the pollworkers on election day.  This will be rectified during the recent.

• Absentee ballots often are damaged in transit and do not go through the automatic tabulator.  Others are marked with a pen that cannot be read by the scanner.  The pollworkers make a new replacement ballot that purports to be a copy of the original, and then send it thought the tabulator.  This will be examined during the recount.

• Voting machines have been mis-programmed, such as in Milwaukee in September of 2006, and Medford, Wisconsin in November 2004.  There are numerous other examples throughout the country.

• Polling places often give out more serial numbers to voters than ballots recorded by the tabulator.  Where are the missing ballots?

• Voting machine security recommendations might not have been followed.

• Look at the pattern of the results, such as a large number of undervotes, to detect possible problems with ballots or tabulating.

Please email me if you have more general reasons for petitioning for a recount.

Web page by Paul Malischke       malischke@yahoo.com       Last updated July 07, 2008