In a recent government meeting, Sam Dads, a senior auditor with legislative post audit, presented findings from a limited scope audit of Ford County's ballot reconciliation process during the 2024 primary election. The audit, authorized by the legislative post audit committee, aimed to determine whether the county had an adequate process for ensuring that the number of voted ballots reconciled with the number of voters.

The audit revealed significant discrepancies in Ford County's election procedures. While the reconciliation process was generally effective at four out of five polling sites, one site showed a troubling inconsistency: the number of ballots counted exceeded the number of voters who checked in by one. This discrepancy arose because poll workers allowed a voter to cast a ballot without signing the poll book, violating established procedures. The audit highlighted that the poll workers had created a handwritten tally sheet that misrepresented the poll book count, failing to document the discrepancy as required by law.

The county election officer was unaware of this issue until it was uncovered during the audit, as election office staff did not verify the accuracy of the reconciliation reports submitted by poll workers. The election officer indicated plans to retrain poll workers and provide them with worksheets to report any voting equipment malfunctions.

Additionally, the audit assessed the compliance of Ford County's poll books with state law. While the poll books contained a declaration on the signature page, the language was outdated and did not align with current legal requirements. However, the county has since updated its poll books to meet state standards, eliminating the need for further recommendations on this issue.

The audit concluded with a recommendation for the Ford County election officer to ensure that poll workers adhere to proper procedures for reconciling ballots with poll book check-ins on election day. This recommendation aims to enhance the integrity of the electoral process in Ford County moving forward.