A post-election audit that involves hand-counting a sample of votes on paper records, then comparing those counts to the corresponding vote totals originally reported as a check on the accuracy of election results, and to detect discrepancies using accurate hand-counts of the paper records as the benchmark.
Understand more election terms clearly
Get one important election term explained each week, with authoritative sources, practical context and related definitions.
A post-election audit that involves hand-counting a sample of votes on paper records, then comparing those counts to the corresponding vote totals originally reported as a check on the accuracy of election results, and to detect discrepancies using accurate hand-counts of the paper records as the benchmark.
Cite this term
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Tabulation Audit. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 22, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/tabulation-audit
Sources
01
Single-source
Get the weekly election term
Receive one cited, source-backed election explanation in your inbox each week.