[El Paso County, Colo. – November 18, 2024] The El Paso County Clerk’s Elections Department will participate in the statewide Risk Limiting Audit (RLA) Tuesday, November 19, for the 2024 General Election. This robust sophisticated post-election audit allows officials to compare a sample of paper ballots against digital tallies to verify results were tabulated correctly. Due to the high level of statistical probability, this audit confirms election results have not been manipulated and reassures a level of confidence in testing for election results.
Required by Section 1-7-515(2)(a) of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the RLA is coordinated by the Secretary of State’s Office and provides strong statistical evidence that the election outcome is consistent with what was counted.
“The completion of a Risk-Limiting Audit is a critical step in ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the 2024 General Election results. This process not only verifies that the reported outcomes match the voters’ intent but also strengthens public confidence in the election system,” said Clerk Steve Schleiker. “In an era where trust in elections is paramount, RLAs serve as a transparent, evidence-based tool to demonstrate the resilience and reliability of our democracy.”
The appointed Audit Board is required to locate specific ballots; review and confirm that the results of those ballots were consistent with what was counted.
The El Paso County RLA is open to the public. The Audit Board will convene at the Citizens Service Center, Elections Department at approximately 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 19, and the audit will begin once the Elections Department and Audit Board members have been given the seed from the Colorado Secretary of State. Please take notice that the Secretary of State will conduct a public meeting to establish the random seed for use with the Secretary of State’s RLA, as required by Election Rule 25.2.2 (h).
Date of Public Meeting: Monday, November 18, 2024, at 10 a.m.
Location: In-Person or via Zoom
In Person: Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, 1700 Broadway, Denver, CO 80290, Fifth Floor Red Rocks Conference Room
Full Zoom link: Click here for Zoom link (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87872015293)
The seed is a number consisting of at least 20 digits, and each digit will be selected in order by sequential rolls of a 10-sided die. The Secretary of State will randomly select members of the public who attend the meeting to take turns rolling the die and designate one or more staff members to take turns rolling the die in the event that no members of the public attend the meeting. The Secretary of State will publish the seed on the Audit Center (http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/auditCenter.html) immediately after it is established.