Risk-Limiting Audit (RLA) Messaging Guide for Election Officials

Verified Voting RLA Communications Guide 2023 Risk-Limiting Audit (RLA) Messaging Guide for Election Officials Framework • Remind the public of the why – RLAs are for voters and people in the community • Explain the how – choose simple terminology and use it consistently • Keep it local – highlight the real folks in the community who conducted the election and who are now conducting the audit • Em. [...] If the audit results don't match the unofficial results, we will audit more ballots, up to a full hand count of ballots before the results are certified to ensure the certified results are accurate 2 Quick Hits • RLAs promote public confidence in election outcomes and public confidence in our democracy • RLAs check that the winners won and the losers lost • RLAs ensure the integrity of the electio. [...] For instance, a 5% risk limit means that if the election outcome is wrong, the chance that the audit will mistakenly confirm it is 5% or less. [...] We usually avoid these specifics with a general audience • Recount - A full recount means counting all of the ballots, while an audit only entails counting some of the ballots. [...] Post-election audits that detect errors can lead to a full recount if the outcome is in doubt • Sample size & margin of victory - Close contests, where the winner’s margin of victory is small, require looking at larger samples of ballots to check the outcome 3 Who Endorses RLAs – A Non-Exhaustive List • U.