Delaware Audit Shift Risks 98% of Votes Why Random Selection Matters

Delaware’s post-election audit used to have one very handy ingredient: surprise. Then the Department of Elections moved the random selection of districts to before the election, which is a bit like telling a burglar which doors will be checked later. Bold strategy, cotton.

Election audits work best when the check comes after the votes are cast.

The timing change is the whole enchilada.

A post-election audit is supposed to deter trouble because nobody knows which districts will be checked until after voting is done. That uncertainty matters.

When districts are selected before Election Day, anyone trying to tamper with results can see which areas are likely to face review and which are not. According to Dan’s analysis at Delaware Counts, that shift leaves 98% of votes outside meaningful audit deterrents.

If the audit target is known before the game starts, the referee has already shown the playbook.

Random selection only deters misconduct when nobody can plan around it.

Randomness is not decorative confetti.

Randomness is the security feature. It keeps every district in the danger zone for anyone thinking about mischief.

A strong audit says, “Any batch of votes might be checked.” A weaker audit says, “These few batches will be checked, plan accordingly.” That second message does not inspire confidence. It inspires spreadsheet gremlins.

The risk is not only actual tampering. It is also public trust. Elections need voters to believe the system checks itself seriously, not with a shrug and a rubber stamp.

Audit security depends as much on uncertainty as much as locks and seals.

Dan asked for the paperwork.

Dan filed a FOIA request to learn why Delaware made the change. The responses he received did not appear to provide a legal reason requiring pre-election selection.

That matters. If a public agency changes a safeguard, people deserve more than “because we do it this way now.” The answer should be clear, lawful, and defensible.

So far, the case for the shift looks thin. The case for changing it back looks pretty sturdy.

Public records requests can reveal whether election changes have a clear basis.

Ask Delaware to change it back.

The fix is simple: the Department of Elections should return to post-election random selection for audit districts.

Send a short, polite email to the DOE. Ask them to restore the former process, so every vote remains under meaningful audit deterrence until after Election Day.

Keep it simple:

• Say you support strong election audits.

• Ask for random selection after the election.

• Request the legal basis for any policy that does otherwise.

  
  

Delaware’s audits should keep bad actors guessing. Surprise is cheap, effective, and apparently still undefeated.

Full article: https://delawarecounts.com/p/change-it-back