How to perform paper ballot hand counted elections.
As we work towards elections performed in the US without the use of voting machines, it is important to have processes in place to hand count elections.
There is lots to think about but it is nice knowing that this is how elections are performed in Italy
ITALY – An Example of Accurate, Secure and Transparent Elections
Italian Guya Mariani provided the following description of the Italian voting process:
In Italy, national elections involve a straightforward process for citizens voting at polling stations.
Italians must bring their “tessera elettorale,” a voter card issued by their municipality, along with a valid ID to their designated polling station, typically a local school closed for the occasion. Voting usually spans two days—Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday—to accommodate schedules. At the polling station, voters enter a classroom where booths are set up for privacy.
Before voting, poll workers verify the voter’s identity, record their participation by marking the tessera elettorale and a ledger by hand, and retain the ID temporarily. Voters then use a special indelible pencil to mark their choice on a pre-printed, watermarked “scheda elettorale” (ballot paper), fold it to conceal the vote, and deposit it into a centrally placed cardboard ballot box visible to all.
The voting process is designed for transparency and security. After marking their ballot in the booth, voters exit and place the folded ballot into the box themselves, ensuring no interference.
Once voting concludes (typically Sunday at 11 p.m.), the poll workers—comprising a president, a secretary, and scrutineers, often with party representatives present as witnesses—begin counting the votes immediately in the same classroom.
The ballot box is opened publicly, and each ballot is unfolded, inspected, and tallied by hand. This open process allows witnesses, including candidate or party representatives, to observe and ensure accuracy, with invalid votes (e.g., those with extra markings) set aside after scrutiny.
After the count, the results are meticulously recorded and communicated to the central national registry. The polling station president compiles an official summary of the vote totals, signed by the poll workers and stamped with the station’s unique seal. One copy of this summary, along with all ballots (valid, invalid, and unused), is sent to the local courthouse for safekeeping and potential recounts, while another is delivered to the municipal electoral office. From there, the municipality aggregates the data from all its polling stations and transmits it to the Ministry of the Interior’s Central Directorate for Electoral Services, which oversees the national tally.
(When the vote totals are announced to the public, they also include the number of “white ballots”—those left blank—which are considered a form of protest vote).
This hierarchical reporting ensures that results are verified at multiple levels before being finalized and announced, maintaining a transparent chain of custody from the classroom to the national level.
In Italy there are separate ballots for each race. Each verified voter receives a ballot for each race. When the voting ends, the counting begins. The votes are then sorted by race and candidate. When complete, it is easy to see the winners of each race.
The only races that take place during federal elections are federal races. The ballots for each race are in different colors.
(The information below is provided by Martel Maxim.)
One hand count method being proposed for US elections is simple enough to implement throughout every county and precinct in America during the next 6 months. What is needed are 1) a clear plastic ballot boxes, 2) Paper ballots, and 3) Paper clips of various sizes.
The diagram below is self explanatory.
(For a more detailed context of how this system evolved, including information about its originator and author Dan Albert, please see this previous article.)
This simple process is doable, transparent and accurate. It can be done.
The next US election will likely take place without the use of uncertifiable election systems. Paper ballots is the way to go.
The post How to Perform Paper Ballot Hand Counted Elections first appeared on Joe Hoft.