Campaign

Risk-Limiting Audits

Rhode Island is a leader in election security.

The security of our elections is important to all of us, no matter our background or our political party.

Rhode Island has long been a leader in election security with most voters using hand-marked paper ballots. Until 2017, however, we were one of the few states that did not audit election results.

In 2017, Common Cause Rhode Island led the effort to pass legislation requiring risk-limiting audits, the “gold standard” of election audits. Rhode Island became only the second state in the nation to require statewide risk-limiting audits after every general election. We led the implementation effort in 2019 helping produce the most comprehensive report ever published on risk-limiting audit pilots. Beginning in 2020, Rhode Island began performing audits after every presidential preference primary and general election.

Pilot Implementation Study of Risk-Limiting Audit Methods in the State of Rhode Island

Report

Pilot Implementation Study of Risk-Limiting Audit Methods in the State of Rhode Island

This report tells that story. It details how, through a collaborative effort, Rhode Island successfully conducted three pilot RLAs. It provides a general overview of RLAs, including the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The report describes the history of election administration in Rhode Island, which has led to the environment in which elections are conducted in the state today. It also lays out the essential components of the audits – their design, software tools, and presentation – and provides the results of the audits.

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