The University of New Mexico (UNM) has announced a long-term election integrity initiative that aims to provide certified outcomes and increase transparency in the election process. Led by UNM Political Science Professor Wendy Hansen and Professor Emeritus Lonna Atkeson, this pioneering project has resulted in the development of an election assessment tool and the release of post-election auditing data and ballot image data for public scrutiny.
According to a press release by UNM, the LeRoy Collins Institute at Florida State University, directed by Atkeson, executed this initiative. The project has been in the making for over 15 years and is expected to continue in the future. UNM emphasized the importance of post-election audits in maintaining voting accuracy. Some counties, like Leon County in Florida, have implemented measures such as employing a second tabulator to cross-verify results. This approach has yielded remarkable accuracy rates of 99.9983% in general elections and 99.9985% in primaries.
New Mexico has been at the forefront of election integrity efforts, benefiting from collaborative research by Professor Emeritus Lonna Atkeson since 2006. The state's election administration has been significantly influenced by this research, leading to policy changes. UNM's post-election audit strategy involves a comprehensive review of machine and hand-counted ballots from randomly selected precincts, ensuring precise vote counts.
The project received support from institutions such as MIT, the Florida State University College of Law, Bill Royal Creative, and Sachs Media. This collaboration has resulted in the creation of a user-friendly and accessible website where the audit and ballot image data can be publicly displayed.
In a press release by UNM, Lonna Atkeson expressed the importance of making this data available to the public, particularly as the country gears up for a new and potentially contentious election cycle. Atkeson stated, "Public mistrust of our elections is at an all-time high, and we hope that placing these data at voters' fingertips will give them more confidence in our election process and results."
Wendy Hansen, another key figure in the initiative, highlighted the groundbreaking nature of the audit conducted in Leon County, Florida. Hansen stated, "This is a groundbreaking audit of all of Leon's County ballots, one that provides tremendous reassurance in the integrity of our voting process. We hope other counties and states follow suit, making our elections more transparent and secure while helping to increase trust in our election systems."
Overall, UNM's election integrity initiative represents a significant step towards ensuring transparency and accuracy in the election process. By providing public access to auditing data and ballot images, the project aims to increase trust in the election system and promote confidence in election results.