County begins routine 1% manual tally to verify Nov. 3 election results

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters began its routine 1% manual tally this week, a state-required step to confirm the accuracy of the Nov. 3 Gubernatorial General Election before results are certified, the County News Center reported.

Under the process, election staff hand-count a random sample of 1% of mail ballot batches and 1% of vote center ballot batches, then compare the hand tallies against the voting system's reported totals.

The batches to be counted were selected in a Nov. 5 public drawing, in which officials randomly drew numbered ping-pong balls. If the initial sample does not include every contest on the ballot, the Registrar selects additional batches so each contest is represented in the manual count.

Each counting team consists of a "reader" who announces each vote and two board members who independently record the tallies. A supervisor then compares the hand-count totals with the voting system totals to confirm they match. Members of the public may observe the entire process.

The manual tally is conducted before election results are certified, which the Registrar expects to complete by Dec. 3. Results remain unofficial until certification is complete.

The Registrar continues to process hundreds of thousands of returned mail ballots. On election night, officials estimated roughly 540,000 ballots remained outstanding. Mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day, Nov. 3, may arrive through Nov. 10 and still be counted. Voters whose ballot envelopes lack a signature have until Nov. 25 to correct the issue.

Updated results are posted at sdvote.com.