Election Assistance Commission training outlines purpose, limits and planning guidance for election audits

The presenter for the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) said the training is intended as a basic introduction to election audits and urged viewers to consult state-specific policies and procedures. "Think of it as election audits 1 0 1," the presenter said, framing the course as relevant for both experienced practitioners and newcomers.

The presenter defined an audit as a "feedback loop" and a tool for quality control, explaining that audits help officials "learn from past experiences, improve how we do our work, and provide reassurance to the public that our elections can be trusted." The training stressed that most audits find small, fixable errors and that auditing demonstrates a commitment to transparency.

The video emphasized the limits of audits: they typically review a sample rather than the whole election, so they "are not intended to provide absolute certainty." The presenter noted sampling makes audits more efficient and cost-effective than full recounts, allowing jurisdictions to build audits into routine election cycles.

Planning decisions depend on clear goals, the presenter said. Possible goals include process improvement, checking outcomes, public transparency and fulfilling legal requirements. "An audit's goal might be process improvement," the presenter said, and officials should identify goals up front because those choices shape scope, methods and timing.

The training recommended that election officials be involved in planning and overseeing audits because of their expertise, and that jurisdictions consider including outside experts, partisan representatives or members of the public as observers when allowed. The presenter highlighted rules that may limit who can handle ballots or equipment and urged organizers to match participant skills to audit tasks.

On evidence and scope, the presenter listed records often reviewed in procedural audits — public notices, meeting minutes, poll worker lists, logic and accuracy test materials, chain-of-custody records, and certification reports — and warned that external factors such as state laws or court orders can limit access to ballots or other materials.

The course summarized the "three C's" auditors should consider: correctness (tasks were done the right way), completeness (tasks were completed fully and on time), and consistency (tasks were performed the same way over time). Timing guidance included planning audits to occur when they can be most useful (for example, after equipment setup but before an election when conducting logic and accuracy tests) and deciding whether audits are one-time or recurring to enable trend tracking.

The video concluded by reminding viewers to estimate realistic audit durations, account for budget and staffing constraints, and understand that some audits (such as statewide post-election tabulation audits) may require participation from many jurisdictions. The presenter closed with a brief quiz and thanked viewers for their work in elections.