Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announces the completion of the 2022 Vermont General Election Audit, conducted on December 6 at the Pavilion Auditorium in Montpelier. No significant abnormalities or discrepancies were found between audit results and the Official Returns of Vote.
“Every Vermont voter expects that when they vote their ballot, it is counted, and that their votes are counted accurately,” said Secretary Condos. “Today’s audit confirmed the accuracy and integrity of Vermont’s official election results, giving Vermonters peace of mind and confidence in our civic process.”
The 2022 General Election Audit was open to the public and livestreamed by ORCA Media. The recorded livestream can be viewed courtesy of ORCA Media on their YouTube channel.
General Election audits are a nationally identified best practice and have been required by Vermont state statute since 2006. Every ballot cast must be securely sealed by the Town or City Clerks in tamper proof ballot bags under strict chain of custody and retained in their vaults for 22 months following the election.
Seven towns or cities were selected at random for the 2022 General Election Audit: Burlington (Chittenden -13 District), Dover, Fair Haven, Mt. Tabor, Newport City, Richford, and Waitsfield.
The sealed ballot bags for these towns or districts were delivered, opened, and audited using an auditing company and equipment that is distinctly different, and independent of, the tabulators used in Vermont towns. The audit results were compared to the Official Returns of Vote that were submitted by the Town Clerks following their certification of the November General Election results.
Results were viewed publicly and double-checked for accuracy. No significant abnormalities or discrepancies were found between the audit results and the official returns, verifying the accuracy and integrity of the certified election results. The results of the audit will be posted on the Secretary of State’s website once the data has been formatted.
“As we work to combat the conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation that partisan operatives continue to use to erode public confidence in the integrity of election results, audits are one critical way that election officials can respond to these unfounded allegations,” said Condos. “The right to vote is the very foundation of our democracy and the truth matters.”