Bernalillo County post-election audit champions transparency and accountability for voters

Read, mark, verify. Repeat 5,999 times.

Louis S. Papponi, along with some 39 other volunteers, will spend the next three days repeating that rigorous process as they work to verify the results of an election that drew in over 150,000 ballots cast throughout the state.

“I was more interested in how the election actually happens and all of the work that goes into it before and after the election process,” Papponi said. “We’re putting on the election, and we’re also making sure that the way we put on the election and the way it’s run is fully transparent.”

The Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office on Monday began its post-election audit when around 40 volunteers filled the Voting Machine Warehouse. Bright florescent lights beamed down on them at 8 a.m. as they thumbed through over 6,000 of the almost 150,000 ballots cast to audit and confirm the election results.

“Post-election audits are one of the most important transparency tools in New Mexico’s election system,” county clerk Michelle Kavanaugh said in a news release.

“This system check is not triggered by concerns or complaints — it is a standard requirement that ensures every machine-counted ballot is verified with care and precision,” she said. “Our team is committed to accuracy, accountability and earning the continued trust of Bernalillo County voters.”

The secretary of state hires a third-party auditor, who randomly draws precincts from all 33 counties for the review.

The process involves a rigorous system where auditors sort ballots, conduct a hand tally of specific contests — like bond questions or school board candidates — and confirm those hand-tallied totals to the original machine-counted totals. The auditing method is done every year to confirm the validity of elections.

“Based on that formula, we get the lion’s share of the precincts that are randomly drawn,” said Nathan Jaramillo, bureau of elections administrator. “This is a great method to ensure the integrity of the election is secure.”

Papponi, who joined the auditing team in 2023, said the process wasn’t just about verifying the election, but about showing transparency through every step at a time when people have apprehensions about the legitimacy of elections, both local and national.

He said he takes pride in the process the county has established and finds joy in being a part of elections each year.

“The idea that each step of the process is something that the public can be part of, whether you’re voting or working at the site, as something the public is able to see is something that keeps me going every day,” Papponi said. “We want to make sure that every result put out through Bernalillo County is something trustworthy and is open and accessible to anyone.”