Ballot hand count reveals validity of the tabulation system

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - The Mesa County Elections Office and their 94 Election Judges, have completed the hand count of ballot styles 2 and 4 for the Plateau Valley School District 50 races, as well as the Town of De Beque Ballot Issue 2A.

According to the MCEO, the results for the hand count reveal the tabulation system counted them accurately, and as expected, the hand count produced a small variance.

“It is common for a hand count to differ in how an inconsistently marked ballot is interpreted by human counters versus the machine,” said Brandi Bantz, Mesa County Elections Director. “I have overseen hand counts before, but never one this big!”

The election’s office also provided a visual example for how there may be a few discrepancies between the tabulation system and the hand count (seen below).

2021 Mesa County Coordination Election - Ballot hand count reveals validity of tabulation system(Mesa County Elections Office)

According to the MCEO, “In this example the machine would have counted this as a vote for Andrea but our hand counters said it was not because it appears the voter scribbled it out.”