GREAT FALLS — Although the primary election polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, the election process is far from over.
“Auditing is double checking all of our work,” Said Terry Thompson, Election Administrator, “…We're all human… and a machine we know can make a mistake, too.”
Before the results of the primary election are made official, they need to be canvased. And before they are canvased, they are put before an auditing committee, which could include you.
“They have to be comprised of at least three people,” Thompson said, “And they can be county employees and citizens of Cascade County.”
The auditors make sure that everything went correctly, and even though the voting machines are tested before each election, they serve to double check the work of the computers.
“They're actually counting the ballots,” Thompson said, “It's a hand count of the race.”
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The committee will be selected randomly on the 11th at the commission meeting, and the group will meet up for a few hours the next morning in the commission chambers. Thompson hopes that they can restore trust in the voters by keeping the public aware of the process and being as transparent as possible.
“Again, I really want to build that trust factor in people, and that's going to take some time,” Thompson said, “You know, I was lucky enough to have two great elections with the school election going well. And now, you know, the primary election on Election Day went well. It's just all the final pieces. Will they match up? Hopefully, like they should.”
The audit process will be open and available to the public. So even if you are not on the committee, you can still come and see how it works.
You can learn more by emailing elections@cascadecountymt.gov or calling 406-454-6803.
