Georgia Will Conduct 20 Risk-Limiting Election Audits
State officials plan manual ballot reviews to confirm election accuracy in November.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Elections
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Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has announced that election officials will conduct 20 risk-limiting audits for the upcoming election in November 2026. These manual reviews are intended to demonstrate that the voting process remains safe, secure, and accurate.
Why it matters
The audits represent a state-led effort to verify election outcomes through hand-counting a random selection of ballots. Raffensperger stated that his primary responsibility is ensuring that the declared winner of the election is indeed the rightful winner.
Georgia election officials will perform 20 risk-limiting audits by manually recounting a random selection of ballots. This follows an earlier federal investigation involving the seizure of 2020 election ballots from a Fulton County office.
The players
Brad Raffensperger
He is the Secretary of State of Georgia who has opposed federal efforts to control state election procedures.
James Mills
He serves as the executive director of the Georgia State Election Board and recently advocated for federal scrutiny of local voting machines.
The details
The audits are being implemented amid ongoing debates regarding federal oversight of state election processes. Georgia officials previously performed hand audits while navigating various challenges to the state voting system, including prior calls for federal examination of voting machines.
Timeline
November 2026 is the month for the scheduled Georgia state election.
Early October 2026 was when James Mills urged a federal examination of voting machines.
Early 2026 was the timeframe when the FBI raided a Fulton County election office.
November 2022 was the date of a photograph of Brad and Tricia Raffensperger.
2020 was the year Donald Trump claimed the Georgia state election was stolen.
Political Context
The plan for 20 risk-limiting audits follows Georgia state risk-limiting audit statutes that govern post-election verification procedures. This initiative aligns with the state's efforts to maintain control over its electoral processes despite legislative and administrative pushback from federal interests.
Residents can expect increased transparency regarding the ballot counting process as officials conduct manual audits across the state. These measures are designed to ensure public confidence in the accuracy of the final election results.
The takeaway
The move to conduct manual audits underscores the emphasis Georgia officials are placing on verifiable vote totals to address public skepticism. Voters should be aware that these audits are a standard part of the state's effort to certify the final election outcomes.
Further reading
Learn more about the state process in Georgia Elections.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Alternet.
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