HOW DO WE KNOW ELECTIONS ARE DONE PROPERLY? There are multiple checks and controls in election procedures with redundancy and backups to verify the checks and controls. Audits are part of this.
Audits check that processes are actually doing what they are supposed to do. Legitimate audits embody transparency. They follow published and understandable procedures. They are consistent and repeatable, meaning anyone following the same audit procedures will get the same results. They are bi-partisan and public.
Here are some examples. (FYI, a recount is not an election audit, but an audit can result in a recount.)
Risk-limiting audit: conducted post-election to check the accuracy of vote tallying. (I posted on this recently.)
Legal audit: checks that all applicable laws are implemented as intended and that the election office is in legal compliance.
Access audits: checks every polling place for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, state laws, and best practices to ensure enfranchisement.
Ballot design audit: evaluates the usability of ballots for all voters, including those with physical or cognitive disabilities or little civic or electoral literacy.
Forensic audit: checks evidence trails and information to insure correctness of election administration process, such as logs, chip sets, ballot manifest, chain of custody (cyber and physical materials), voting system results tape. (A forensic audit is different from an open-ended vulnerability assessment which is done by skilled people poking around to find vulnerabilities. Looking for vulnerabilities doesn’t have the documented procedures that an audit has.)
Configuration audit: checks that voting equipment meets the state or federal certified configuration standards. It examines every piece of equipment to make sure it is in certified configuration, set up and loaded with correct software, firmware, and hardware.
Learn more by listening to this excellent 1-hour webinar.
https://videos.ncsl.org/category/elections-and-redistricting/what-is-an-election-audit