Auditor-General’s investigation reveals flaws in final 2023 election results check

An investigation has revealed that the final verification of the 2023 official election results was hurriedly completed in just a few hours on the day the results were announced, rather than over the usual two days.

This compressed timeline, conducted under intense pressure, led to multiple errors being overlooked.

The inquiry by Auditor-General John Ryan found the rushed assessment also permitted some apparent duplicate votes to be counted in the final results. Ryan’s investigation into the Electoral Commission’s quality assurance procedures followed the revelation of big errors in the final count. In November, the Electoral Commission acknowledged that over 700 votes were mistakenly omitted, and data entry errors occurred at 15 voting stations.

These errors, which allegedly did not significantly impact the final seat distribution, occurred due to vote miscounting and, in one instance, the misplacement of a ballot box. The investigation highlighted that the Commission’s quality checks were ‘ineffective,’ with Ryan criticising the organisation’s processes as insufficient and unable to prevent or detect errors.

A combination of factors contributed to this failure. A surge in late enrolments and special votes added immense pressure on staff and the system. Just two weeks before the election, over 454,000 people enrolled to vote, including over 100,000 on election day. There was also an increase of 100,000 special votes compared to the 2020 election.

The compressed timeline left little room for adequate verification. A process that typically takes two days was condensed to a few hours, preventing detection of errors. Further investigation uncovered another issue where some apparent dual votes were included due to inconsistent adherence to instructions.

Despite the errors, the Electoral Commission said that the discrepancies did not affect the outcome of any electorate. In response, the auditor general provided seven recommendations, which the Commission accepted. These included reviewing vote counting checks, improving operational manuals, ensuring sufficient staff and technology, and refining risk identification processes.

Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne acknowledged the errors but highlighted their insignificance in affecting electoral outcomes. He assured the public that steps are being taken to improve systems and controls to deliver accurate and fair elections in the future. Current improvements include an internal review, audits, updated assurance frameworks, and enhanced post-election processes.

Image credit: Element5 Digital