Hand-counting Ballots: Unreliable, Time-Consuming, and Logistically Impossible for U.S. Elections

Politics News

Hand-counting Ballots: Unreliable, Time-Consuming, and Logistically Impossible for U.S. Elections
ElectionsVotingHand-Counting
  • 📰 AP
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 29 sec. here
  • 7 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 32%
  • Publisher: 51%

Election experts agree that hand-counting ballots is less accurate, takes significantly longer, and is impractical for large-scale US elections due to the volume of votes and complexity of ballots.

FILE - Chester County, Pa., election workers process mail-in and absentee ballots at West Chester University in West Chester, Pa., Nov. 4, 2020. What is the most accurate way to count votes in U.S. elections? Is it by hand, as many Republican lawmakers have been demanding in the aftermath of 2020? Or the traditional way in which machines tally results?

Stephen Ansolabehere, a professor of government at Harvard University who has conducted research on hand-counts, said that in one study in New Hampshire, he found poll workers who counted ballots by hand were off by as much as 8%. The average error rate for machine counting was 0.5%, Ansolabehere said.

Just how long can hand-counting delay results? Depending on jurisdiction and staffing, it could be days, weeks or even months. Countries like France use hand counting, but Ansolabehere said they typically have simpler elections with just one race at a time.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

AP /  🏆 728. in US

Elections Voting Hand-Counting Machine Counting Pennsylvania

Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Battleground ballots: The 2024 struggle over Nevada’s mail-in ballotsBattleground ballots: The 2024 struggle over Nevada’s mail-in ballotsPolitical News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government
Read more »

Battleground ballots: First 2024 ballots to go out in North Carolina with election lawsuits in limboBattleground ballots: First 2024 ballots to go out in North Carolina with election lawsuits in limboPolitical News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government
Read more »

Ohio Supreme Court must resolve Issue 1 fight within days to get ballots out on timeOhio Supreme Court must resolve Issue 1 fight within days to get ballots out on timeBy law, the first ballots of the 2024 general election must be mailed by Sept. 20 to overseas and active military voters.Ohio elections officials would like to
Read more »

With Some Careful Planning, Solar & Biodiversity Can Go Hand-In-HandWith Some Careful Planning, Solar & Biodiversity Can Go Hand-In-HandThe symbiosis of solar and biodiversity could support renewables but also mitigate global pollinator collapse.
Read more »

The East Village Baker Known for Her Aesthetic Floral CakesThe East Village Baker Known for Her Aesthetic Floral CakesLucie Franc de Ferriere’s charming bakery and personal style go hand in hand.
Read more »

Improved Prosthetic Hand Only Chokes Owner 63% Of TimeImproved Prosthetic Hand Only Chokes Owner 63% Of TimeAmerica’s Finest News Source
Read more »



Render Time: 2025-08-21 20:12:09