Below is a list of Hand-Count Methods that we are tracking, some developed by us, most by others. We welcome the “better mousetrap!”, so if we’ve missed any, please let us know.
Each method we list must be Acceptable, and as quickly as we can, we’ll evaluate jurisdictions where the methods are Permissible (according to statute/code, which can be changed by the People, but not overnight), and we’ll indicate which methods we Recommend.
To be Acceptable, a method must be both 100% transparent (in real-time, and after the fact, e.g., through publicly available recorded video which shows the tallying and the ballots tallied), which no machine does/could achieve, and 100% accurate (a function of procedural reconciliation to catch and correct any error).
Acceptability is the Peoples’ standard. Permissibility is the States’.
To be Recommended by us, a method must be Acceptable, is likely to be Permissible, and is likely to be both efficient (time- and manpower-wise) and low-risk (e.g. doesn’t involve egregious ballot-handling, etc).
Acceptable Methods
State Statutes & Administrative Code (Permissibility)
PLEASE NOTE: The following observations represent independent reviews of individual state statutes, which were current on the date evaluated, but may have changed since. These observations are not intended as legal advice. Please review the most current version of your own state statute and the sections referenced below. We strongly encourage you to do your own research and take action accordingly. Please feel free to reach out to us if we can support you in your efforts!
| State | Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FL | FL ss. § 97.0291 (2025) No private or NGO funds can be accepted or used by any state agency or local official responsible for conducting elections. FL ss. § 98.0981 (2025) Precinct-level election results FL ss. § 101.019 (2025) Ranked choice voting is prohibited in Florida. FL ss. § 101.56065 (2025) (1) (a) and (4)(a) are interesting, detailing “voting system defects” FL ss. § 101.5607 (2025) (1)(a) says the program code (software) is on file with the Department of State and if not on file, it cannot be used in an election. FL ss. § 101.591 (2025) Voting system audit procedures. FL ss. § 102 (2025) Conducting Elections and Ascertaining Results – Florida also holds simulated elections for minors. FL ss. § 102.071 (2025) Results must be posted. | 1) So who paid for the ballot dropboxes in Broward County? 2) If Florida grassroots aren’t already requesting the “precinct-level election results” described in (3) (a-c), they should probably start doing so. (3)(c) details what info the files include. (6) states that these are publicly available. 3) Good! 4) Who has access to view this software? 5) Seems like hand count is possible, as long as it’s completed within 7 days after certification of the election by the canvassing board. 6) Are these simulated elections on the same day as actual elections? 7) This section doesn’t specify the manner of the counting, and would appear not to exclude the possibility of hand counting. Tabulation software is mentioned but does not appear to be required. 8) Additional note: Florida has provisions for mail-in voting, early voting, and exemptions to the need to provide voter ID. Also, the governor can suspend or delay any election by calling a state of emergency or impending emergency. This may be because hurricane season is already underway by Election Day. |
| State | Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ID | ID Code § 34-104 (2025) Must reside in state and county for 30+ days prior to election ID Code § 34-114 (2025) defines “tally book” or “tally list” ID Code § 34-218 (2025) Private money is prohibited >$100 ID Code § 34-408 (2025) Must register to vote before 5pm on 11th day before an election. If registration occurs after this, county clerk holds application until registration re-opens after the election. BUT ID Code § 34-408A (2025) states that a person CAN register on Election Day at their precinct polling place ID Code § 34-418 (2025) County clerk must check all new registrations weekly to confirm eligibility if the elector had a change of address. ID Code § 34-431 (2025) Any registered elector can challenge any elector’s name on the register and a note is entered regarding reason (died/moved/incorrect address). Challenger signs their name, so that info becomes public. The person being challenged then receives a snail mail postcard and must take action accordingly. ID Code § 34-435 (2025) County clerks are required to cancel the voter registration of any elector who hasn’t voted in any election in the last 4 years. ID Code § 34-901 (2025) Approved ballot security features. ID Code § 34-903B (2025) Ranked Choice Voting is prohibited for any election in Idaho, even federal. ID Code § 34-1007 (2025) Absentee ballots may be opened and scanned 7 days before election day ID Code § 34-1113 (2025) Voter ID requirements ID Code § 34-1413 (2025) Modified voting procedures: A county can submit modified voting procedures to SoS for approval at least 40 days prior to an election. If SoS disapproves this request, SoS must notify the county what remedial measures may be taken that would allow for approval of the voting plan. ID Code § 34-20 (2025) Chapter 20: Contesting an election Chapter 23: Recounts ID Code § 34-2313 (2) and (3) (2025) Details procedure for a small randomized selection of ballots to be hand counted and machine counted ID Code § 34-2407 (2) (c) (2025) Says the governing body may “Provide for the payment for the voting machines or vote tally systems by other means.” | 1) Good. 2) does not specifically mention hand counting 3) would seem to include NGOs 4) Does not seem to specify whether or not election-day registrants can then vote in that day’s election. 5) Is this actually happening? By what method(s)? 6) This would appear to be a potentially viable grassroots strategy. 7) Is this actually happening? 8) This is interesting as there are numerous ballot security options available, but the statute requires only “one or more” to be implemented. 9) Good! 10) Not good! 11) Good, succinct voter ID statute. May provide helpful for states looking for simple verbiage to use as a template. 12) This seems to allow an individual county to request hand counting with this statute but the requester would want to have a well-formed detailed hand counting proposal to submit to SoS. 13) Grounds for contesting a race or ballot initiative are specific and very limited. 14) If difference between sample hand count and machine count is at or below a specified amount, the remainder of the ballots are machine counted; if difference is above specified amount, the remainder of ballots would be hand counted. 15) Despite how this sounds, it would seem that 34-218 would still apply, which would not allow private or NGO funding. |
| State | Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IL | 10 ILCS, Act 5 § 1-9 Grace period, early, vote-by-mail, and provisional ballots are counted at election authorities’ central ballot counting location, not precincts. 10 ILCS, Act 5 § 5/24A-3 …Any such county board, board of county commissioners or board of election commissioners may contract for the tabulation of votes at a location outside its territorial jurisdiction when there is no suitable tabulating equipment available within its territorial jurisdiction. 10 ILCS, Act 5 § 5/24A-2/24B-2 …”Redundant count” means a verification of the original computer count by another count using compatible equipment or by hand as part of a discovery recount.” | 1) The IL Constitution recognizes that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed, that enumeration of certain rights cannot deny or disparage other rights retained by individual citizens, that the State must conduct elections to determine the consent of the governed, and that elections must be free and equal. 2) IL statutes neither prescribe nor prohibit hand-counting, but prescribe tabulation by use of equipment approved by the State Board of Elections (SBoE) and available within the jurisdiction. IL statute does identify circumstances (redundant count) whereby a hand-count of some number of ballots to “verify” “the original computer count” is permissible, but does not specify a method for the hand recount. It stands to reason but must be argued in a court that, if some method of hand-counting is both required and permissible in certain circumstances, then it must be permissible if no permissible “computer” is available to conduct the “original computer count. 3) IL statutes do not require voting systems be Federally tested or certified. 4) IL administrative code (Title 26, Ch I, Part 204, Section 204.55) does require all voting system vendors to submit all Computer Code associated with the voting system to be placed in escrow with the State Board of Elections (SBoE). No vendor has ever done this,* therefore every IL voting system has been approved by the SBoE in violation of IL code, and therefore in violation of IL statute (10 ILCS 5/Art. 24), and therefore the SBoE should be compelled to withdraw approval of all currently approved voting systems. * IL uses ES&S, DVS, HI, Unisyn, Premier voting systems; each of these systems uses components with commercial operating systems (OS), e.g. Windows Server, Windows, uClinux, etc. Most use Intel Xeon and I-x series central processing units (CPU) on the motherboards of voting system components (e.g. ES&S, DVS, HI, Unisyn) which also contain Intel active management technology (AMT) chipsets like vPro/ME, running the Minix OS. All Dell servers (used by ES&S and DVS for election management system (EMS) servers) embed integrated Dell Remote Access Controllers (iDRAC), which employ specific drivers, discrete basic input output system (BIOS) firmware, and software like Dell OpenManage. All of these systems use dozens or hundreds of firmware drivers for various components. Vendor-proprietary code is only a small subset of the total Computer Code on voting systems, but vendors have not been compelled to submit all code from the voting systems, nor has the SBoE, or any other party, evaluated it, and IL code, and therefore statute, has thus not been satisfied. |
| State | Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NE | NE Code § 32-110.01 (2025) Electronic Voting System, defined NE Code § 32-123 (2025) Voter ID requirements NE Code § 32-213 (2025) Oath and bond NE Code § 32-306 (2025) Cannot register to vote after the 3rd Friday prior to an election. Of note, “Deputy registrars shall not register voters after 6 p.m. on the third Friday preceding any election. A registration application received after the deadline shall not be processed by the election commissioner or county clerk until after the election.” This rule is re-stated in Sections 32-308 and 32-310. NE Code § 32-901 (2025) Ballot counting NE Code § 32-959 (2025) Special election by mail; undeliverable ballots; removal of names. The names of voters whose ballots are returned as undeliverable shall be subject to removal from the voter registration records as provided in sections 32-326 to 32-329. NE Code § 32-1010 (2025) Ballots; where counted. NE Code § 32-1041 (2025) Cannot vote using a machine, but tabulators are allowed. NE Code § 32-1044 (2025) Watchers are allowed for LAT NE Code § 32-1119 (2025) Recounts. | 1) Of note, it reads “of which each part is done electronically” not “any part” 2) Voter ID section is clear and concise – great template for other states looking for example language 3) FYI Election commission takes oath and provides $10k bond 4) Would this mean that voter rolls could be obtained immediately after the application deadline and just prior to the election, to ensure no changes were made in this 2 week time period prior to the election? 5) Three separate sets of instructions: manually counted; optical scanner counted; and “with an electronic aspect” 6) Is this actually happening? 7) Seems to allow for the possibility local hand counting at polling stations. 8) Hand counting seems like it would be allowable with SoS approval? 9) Potential grassroots action item: become a watcher for logic and accuracy testing 10) Recount procedure must be same procedure used in the original count. |
| State | Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OH | OH Rev Code § 3501.05 (O) (2025) Election Duties of SoS include providing an annual report to the Ohio Governor detailing the results, cost, tabulations, etc. of each election. OH Rev Code § 3501.05 (Q) (2025) SoS is required to clean up voter rolls and remove ineligible voters and (W) establish and maintain computerized statewide database under HAVA. OH Rev Code § 3501.051 (2025) Minors can participate in simulated elections at the same place and time as each real general election. Under age 14 needs to be accompanied by an 18 year old, otherwise no other restrictions. OH Rev Code § 3501.08 (2025) Oath required of election officials says they will enforce election laws OH Rev Code § 3501.11 (2025) Election board duties include (J) investigate irregularities; (N) provide an annual report to SoS detailing all costs, number of votes cast, etc.; (T) and (U) must keep and clean voter rolls. OH Rev Code § 3501.12 (A) (2025) Board of Elections salary is based on population of county per census. OH Rev Code § 3501.18 (C) (2025) Maximum precinct size is 1400 OH Rev Code § 3501.22 (A) (2025) 4 election officials at each precinct. BoE can appoint more if deemed necessary. These can be high school students who are at least 17 years old. OH Rev Code § 3501.31 (2025) precinct election officials oath contains the phrase “I will endeavor to prevent fraud” OH Rev Code § 3503.152 (2025) details the procedure for the “annual review” of statewide voter registration database to identify noncitizens, lacks real teeth. Looks like this process takes more than 60 days, requires the registrant to notify the DMV that they are a non-citizen, and then register to vote, and then again notify the DMV that they are a non-citizen. The process cannot be conducted during the 90 days prior to any election. OH Rev Code § 3505.27 (2025) the method by which ballots are counted is up to the BoE. Seems there is nothing preventing or encouraging hand counting of ballots. OH Rev Code § 3505.30 (2025) States the count should never be made later than 12Noon on the day following Election Day. OH Rev Code § 3505.331 (2025) Board must audit general elections and primaries held in even-numbered years. The SoS decides whether the audit is RLA, percentage-based audit, or “another audit protocol approved by SoS.” OH Rev Code § 3505.27 (2025) the method by which ballots are counted is up to the BoE. Seems there is nothing preventing or encouraging hand counting of ballots. OH Rev Code § 3506.5 (B) (2025) Board is appointed (2 members by SoS; 1 member by House Speaker or minority leader; 1 member by Senate president or minority leader) to certify voting equipment: “to examine and approve equipment and its related manuals and support arrangements.” OH Rev Code § 3506.15 (2025) SoS determines the manner of counting and provides each BoE with specific rules and instructions. OH Rev Code § 3506.18 (C) (2025) In a recount, if the original ballots were cast using electronic voting machines, “the voter verified paper audit trail shall serve as the official ballot to be recounted.” Method of recount is not specified; it would appear hand counting could be used. OH Rev Code § 3506.23 (2025) “A voting machine shall not be connected to the internet.” (May 2, 2006) OH Rev Code § 3515 (A) (B) (C) (2025) There appears to be no specification as to how recounts shall be counted. | 1) It would seem that citizens seeking detailed information about the cost of their elections, equipment, contracts, etc., could request this report to obtain relevant cost information. Same for 3501.11 annual report from Election boards to SoS. 2) How many non-citizens are going unidentified due to this cumbersome, lengthy, and weakly designed procedure? 3) 3505.331 (a) “ A risk-limiting audit protocol, which shall use statistical methods to limit to acceptable levels the risk of certifying an incorrect outcome for a particular race, question, or issue. The protocol shall require bipartisan teams of election officials to physically examine and hand count randomly sampled ballots and to continue the hand counting until the results of the hand count provide sufficiently strong evidence that a hand count of all of the ballots would confirm the election result declared under section 3505.33 of the Revised Code or until all of the ballots have been hand counted, whichever occurs first.” If a hand count is part of the RLA protocol, then there must be an approved hand-counting method. Also, if the SoS selects “0%” as the risk-limit for the RLA for each race and issue, all ballots (and all races/issues) will be hand-counted. (b)(i) Similarly, if SoS selects “percentage-based audit protocol,” the SoS can select “100%.” (b)(ii) If there are discrepancies between machine-counted and hand-counted, greater than the SoS-selected accuracy (preferably “0” error/risk of certifying an inaccurate machine count), board physically examines and hand-counts a second set of “randomly sampled ballots equal to a given percentage of the total number of ballots cast in the county at that election, as prescribed by the secretary of state. The second set of ballots shall not include any ballots that were included in the first set of audited ballots.” (2) SoS may require the board to “physically examine and hand count all ballots cast for that race, question, or issue.” 4) 3506.5 Who is on this board currently and what are their qualifications for evaluating voting equipment? (https://www.ohiosos.gov/globalassets/elections/bvme/ohio-bvse-members-_10jun25.pdf – basically: none. Four board members are from county boards; the 5th, non-voting, is a “cybersecurity expert” w/no offensive/defensive/forensic experience or skills). Board appointees are paid for this service. 5) Additional resource: Ohio Secretary of State Election Official Manual Chapter 11, page 12 covers manual hand count procedures. Click here for manual. |
| State | Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WY | WY Stat § 22-1-102 (xxx) (ii) (2024) “Tally sheet” referenced WY Stat § 22-2-113 (e) (2024) Voter rolls. WY Stat § 22-3-109 (2024) Poll lists are public. WY Stat § 22-3-115 (2024) “Can” cancel voter registration if elector doesn’t vote in any general election. WY Stat § 22-8-108 (2024) Counting Board WY Stat § 22-10-110 (2024) Machine requirements. WY Stat § 22-14-105 (f) (2024) Counting ballots. WY Stat § 22-16-111 (2024) Recounts. WY Stat § 22-16-113 (ii) (2024) Recounts. WY Stat § 22-17-101 (a)(iv) (2024) Contesting elections: races. WY Stat § 22-17-106 (a)(iii) (2024) Contesting elections: ballot propositions. | 1) Hand counting is referenced (tally sheet). 2) (e) Annual voter roll mandatory update February 15th each year via county clerks and (d) says all election records are public. ID is required and must register at least 14 days before an election 3) Poll lists are generated in triplicate 10+ days prior to an election and publicly posted. 4) Is this actually happening? To what degree? 5) If paper ballots, no counting until polls close. But if electronic counting, counties can start preparing absentee ballots for counting on or before election day. What is the reasoning behind this? 6) Could citizens object to machines within this specified timeframe, given that the machines do not meet the VVSG 2.0 standards? May be worth looking into. 7) Doesn’t forbid hand counting. 8) Could 25 electors use affidavits to request a recount via hand count? Would each affidavit signer subsequently owe the county $500 if election results were not changed as a result of recount? Might still be worth it. 9) Or would the affidavit signers collectively owe a maximum of $3000? Language is not fully clear. But if a race is strategically selected for recount, this could be worth fundraising for, based on citizens’ suspicions of foul play. 10) This wording seems to suggest that proof of more than one illegal vote would justify contesting a race. 11) Same as #10 for ballot propositions. |
More states will be added once their hand-count permissibility has been evaluated. If your state is not listed, our team has not finalized evaluating your state’s statutes as they pertain to hand-counting.
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This versatile tool allows for quite a lot of customization depending on your local needs, budget, time available for counting, etc. Instructions and samples/examples are included right inside the spreadsheet.
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