Electoral Board

Hampton 2024 Election RLA November 20, 2024 10:00 a.m., Registrar’s Office RLA is “Risk Limiting Audit” Present: Tom Harmon and Rebecca Winn – Audit Review Board Matt Scott, Secretary Linda Batchelor Smith, Clerk of Courts Courtney Sydnor, City Attorney Voter Registrar and Staff – Tara Morgan, Anna Jones, Eilyah Burwell Party Representatives Vince Young (r) and Jim Avery (d) Called to order 10:15 a.m. This audit is of the results of the election for U.S. Senate only. RLA means that every jurisdiction in Virginia will “pull” a limited number of ballots from the 2024 election. These ballots are selected through random processes, and should indicate, by examining ballots across the state, the outcome that has been tabulated. 24 ballots will be pulled from 19 boxes that were sealed and delivered to the Clerk of Courts following the November 5 election. The ballot(s) to be pulled from each box was pre-determined at random prior to the start of RLA. For example, the first ballot pulled was the 9th ballot (by actual count when the box was opened) from the Aberdeen Precinct. No voter identification is attached to the ballots at this point. The second ballot selected was the 1639th ballot from the Asbury Precinct. Instead of an actual counting of that many ballots the “K-cut” method of selecting a random ballot was used (this was done in many of these selections as the Audit Board determined). This is like cutting a deck of cards, using random percentages (using a computer randomizing program) of the stack of ballots to change the top ballot. The stack was “shuffled” five (5) times to end up with a truly random selection.  20Nov2024 RLA, page 2 Each of the 24 ballots was examined and noted as a vote cast for one of the candidates, or as an over- or under-vote. After the ballots are pulled the boxes are re-sealed and returned to the Clerk of Courts. The ballots examined are placed in a “number 3 envelope” denoting that they are used ballots and were used for this purpose. “Hand Count” Rules apply to the examination process. The results of the RLA were as follows: Kaine – 18 votes Cao – 6 votes Under – 0 Over - 0 Meeting was adjourned – 2:00 p.m. Sincerely, Matt Scott, Secretary