As ballots arrive, your local election officials keep detailed records of the steps taken to process each ballot or group of ballots. A final report at the end of the process includes a summary of how many ballots were received, along with the final outcome of how many ballots were counted, and how many ballots remained in a “challenged” status and were rejected by the county Canvassing Board.
By comparing the numbers of ballots throughout the process, your local elections officials can demonstrate that every ballot received was handled properly, and that the number of ballots counted corresponds to the number of voters who participated in the election. In the process of tracking ballots and reporting the final outcome, election officials are creating an audit trail. These reports also assist state and county decision-makers better identify and understand trends in elections across multiple years.