LANSING, Mich. — A statewide audit of the November election begins Thursday. According to the Secretary of State's Office - bipartisan county and local clerks will conduct more than 200 audits over the course of a few weeks.
The 2022 election drew record-breaking turnout, and the audits are conducted in an effort to ensure transparency and accuracy in elections.
“The professional, transparent auditing of our election procedures at the state and local level affirms the accuracy and integrity of our elections, identifies best practices, and ensures continuous improvement of our state’s secure, fair elections system,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said.
The bipartisan group of election officials will meet in Lansing to generate a random number – by rolling a 10-sided die – that will be used to determine which batches of ballots will be hand counted.
The hand-counted batch will then be compared to the machine tally from the corresponding precincts to demonstrate the accuracy of the tabulation machines. Participating officials include Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope, Livingston County Clerk Elizabeth Hundley, Livingston County Election Director Joe Bridgeman and former Ingham County Board of Canvassers Member Kathleen Prout.
A link to the livestream of the 2:30 p.m. count will be posted on Michigan Department of State social media accounts so you can watch it live. The bureau expects all audits to be completed by Febuary 17th and the results will be shared with the board of state canvassers in a public meeting after that.
