Wednesday, October 16
at 5:00 PM Pacific
on Zoom
Training presented by Scrutineers and America Counts
In this year when election results are very likely to be challenged, we must take action — individually and in groups — to strengthen the checks and balances on our election system.
One of the most powerful ways to do that is also one of the simplest — use your smart phone to take video of the raw election results!
You’ll Learn:
- A simple method of providing public oversight for your local election
- Why this work is essential, especially this year
- How to use a smart phone app to document vote totals
- What to do if your state doesn’t require posting election results at polling places
- How you can help from home
What’s this about?
Nearly all votes in the U.S. are counted by scanners. Once all ballots have been scanned, poll workers print out a “poll tape” from the scanner. A poll tape looks like a cash register receipt. It lists all the candidates for each race, and how many votes the scanner counted for each. It also lists the total ‘yes’ votes and ‘no’ votes for any questions on the ballot.
Many states require poll workers to post the poll tapes outside the polling place, where the public can view them. That’s where you come in.
We encourage all who can to take video of these vote totals after the polls close. This is the best way currently available to capture vote totals before they’re combined with votes from the rest of your town, city or county inside central tabulators.
Comparing the vote counts on poll tapes to the official results announced later provides an important check on our vote counts. Numbers that don’t match are evidence of a problem that needs further investigation.
Taking video of poll tapes is easy to do, yet it’s one of the most crucial tools in the election protection tool box.
Come to this free one-hour training session to learn more about why poll tape imaging is important, how and where to do it, and the impact it can have.