November 18, 2022 – The El Paso County Elections Department will participate in the statewide Risk Limiting Audit (RLA) for the 2022 General Election on Saturday, November 19, 2022. 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, election rules for the RLA state the Secretary of State’s Office must select a countywide and statewide race for the audit. The El Paso County Elections Department and the appointed bipartisan Audit Board members will focus on the following races: United States Senator, Governor/Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Board of Education Member-At Large and City of Colorado Springs Ballot Issue 301.
El Paso County RLA is open to the public and can be viewed from the windows located in the hallway outside of the Elections division. The Audit Board will convene at the Citizens Service Center, Elections Department at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, November 19. The Audit Board is required to locate specific ballots; review and confirm that the results of those ballots were consistent with what was counted, providing strong statistical evidence that the election outcome is accurate. The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office will notify the Clerk’s office should the state need to move to a second round of auditing once all Colorado Counties complete their first round.