The required post-election audit will increase from 1 percent to 5 percent of precincts, giving Missouri one of the highest audit standards in the country. The audit compares electronically tabulated results with a hand recount of votes in randomly selected precincts in each county to ensure the accuracy of voting equipment.
"Missourians should be confident that their voting system works. The recent audits and state-wide recounts have all shown Election Day vote totals are accurate." Carnahan said. "Increasing the scope of the post-election audit adds an extra layer of security. With record turnout predicted for November, we now have another tool to ensure the integrity of our system."
The November 2008 election will be the first time many Missourians cast a vote for president on the new optical scan voting systems. While many parts of Missouri have used optical scan voting systems for many years, other areas of the state adopted them after problems surfaced with the old punch card voting systems in Florida's presidential election in 2000.
To ensure the accuracy and security of Missouri elections, the Secretary of State's Office also provides best practices and step-by-step guides on the set-up and use of voting equipment to local election authorities.
