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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 5, 2024 12:37 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Bryan Cutler |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Post-Election Audits |
| In the near future I plan to introduce legislation that will modernize and expand the post-election audit requirements under Pennsylvania law, ensuring both accuracy and public trust in the outcomes. Post-election audits provide two major benefits to the accurate administration of elections: statistical confirmation that the outcome of any given election is accurate, and enhanced confidence among voters and the public that all votes are being counted accurately. Certain types of audits, sometimes referred to as risk-limiting audits, are scientifically designed and highly effective procedures conducted after an election to strengthen election security and integrity. Separately, minimum auditing requirements for counties and random precinct auditing can ensure that audits provide public confidence even in counties where result-confirming audits are less necessary. My legislation will require the Commonwealth and each county in this Commonwealth to implement a post-election audit using an approved auditing method, as well as providing for each county a minimum auditing requirement for both ballot number and random precincts. Approved election auditing methods must be consistent with best practices in the field and must include, but are not limited to, a risk-limiting audit. Each audit must confirm to a reasonable degree of statistical certainty that the election outcome is correct. If the outcome of an audited race cannot be confirmed by a post-election audit, a full recount of that race shall be completed by hand, in accordance with our current election law. Additionally, the Department of State will be required to issue for each future election a report similar to the one required by Act 35 of 2020 for the 2020 Primary Election. A copy of this report shall be made available on the Department of State's publicly accessible internet website. Please join me in cosponsoring this legislation to strengthen election security and integrity, confirm the accuracy of election outcomes, and provide confidence to voters that their votes are being counted accurately. |