PER Observers Report from 43 Counties!
Thank you to our volunteers who served as nonpartisan observers of the Post-Election Review in 43 counties to help amplify how our elections are fair, accurate, secure and verifiable. Here are some observations from the field:
Who else was there? Each meeting was open to the public and LWVMN observers noted county staff, interested community members, and local media coming in and out.
What was the environment in the room? The meetings were typically “organized, welcoming, professional, focused, respectful.” The county election administrators instructed the public and ballot counters throughout the meeting with observers describing it as “transparent, cooperative, diligent” and feeling “relief, impressed”.
How was the meeting run? Observers were trained to notice meeting rules and the room’s set-up. The rules were sometimes read, posted, or not apparent, but election administrators always began by stating the audit procedures. Some observers were able to see the ballots up close, while others could only hear counters from behind marked areas. There were no reported disruptions, and questions were clearly answered by election officials, including some that went beyond the PER process.
Notable quotes from LWVMN observers:
"If everyone could see this process there would be no question about the validity of our election results."
“I appreciated the collaborative attitude of the judges and elections officials. It was well worth our time to observe.”
“The election officials thanked us several times, were courteous at all times and appreciated us being there. I enjoyed learning about the process.”
“It was not only that the counted ballots matched the machine count for both precincts, but that MN state rules for the handling of ballots and the count itself were clear and were followed exactly.”
