Statewide postelection audit complete

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On Nov. 22, the Colorado Department of State announced that the 2024 statewide postelection audit has been completed. 

The 2024 audit has statistically verified that Coloradans’ ballots were counted accurately and that voting equipment worked as it should have.

“Colorado’s bipartisan risk-limiting audit is complete, and confirms the accuracy of the 2024 general election results and that voting equipment worked as it should. Colorado’s multilayered security approach ensures that each election is fair, accurate and secure, and that every Colorado voter has their voice heard,” said Secretary of State Jena Griswold. 

After every statewide election, the Department of State works with county clerks to conduct the audit. The risk-limiting audit establishes a statistical level of certainty that ballots were counted according to voters’ intent and tabulating equipment worked correctly.

The risk-limiting audit has been conducted in every Colorado election since the 2017 coordinated election. The audit has never found a discrepancy that was a result of the voting system not working as intended. 

The steps to certifying the 2024 General Election are:

• After Election Day, county clerks continued processing and counting ballots until Nov. 15.

• On Nov. 18, the Department of State conducted the public meeting to establish the seed number for the post-election audit — which was entered into an algorithmic random number generator to determine the ballots that would be audited — to begin the audit. The audit includes statewide contests as well as a target contest in each county.

• Colorado counties completed the statewide post-election audit on Nov. 21.

• Each county canvass board convened to approve the final tally of ballots cast and tabulated by Nov. 27.

• After canvass reports are submitted, counties can begin any mandated or requested recounts; mandatory recounts must be completed by Dec. 6.

• Once any recounts have concluded, the 2024 General Election results can be certified by the secretary of state.

• Colorado’s Electoral College members are scheduled to meet at the state Capitol on Dec. 17 to cast votes for president and vice president. Electoral College votes will then be counted and certified in a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Jan. 6, 2025.