Retally

To retally means to add up vote totals again, particularly totals produced by individual voting machines or tabulation records. A retally checks the arithmetic or aggregation of existing counts. It does not necessarily involve re-examining every original ballot, which is why the term can be narrower than a formal recount.

A retally generally means adding existing vote totals again, while a recount is a broader repeat tabulation of votes cast and may involve reprocessing or manually examining ballots. Election laws define the procedures, triggers, and records used. A retally can therefore be one checking step without being a full statutory recount.

Election officials may retally totals to verify arithmetic, reconcile machine or precinct results, investigate a discrepancy, or complete an audit or canvass procedure. Whether a retally is required, permitted, or sufficient depends on the jurisdiction. If the concern involves voter marks or ballot interpretation, a more formal recount or adjudication process may be needed.