Q&A
Confidence in accurate RCV (Ranked Choice Voting) tabulation
2:03:46
·
155 sec
Council Member Restler inquires about the Board of Elections' confidence in accurate and timely tabulation of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) results, referencing past issues. Michael Ryan responds, explaining the current situation and improvements made.
- Restler mentions the incident of 135,000 test ballots wrongly counted in the June 2021 primary
- Ryan, who was on medical leave during that incident, explains that the error was corrected quickly
- The BOE has successfully conducted multiple RCV contests since then without repeating the error
- Ryan emphasizes that the size of the election doesn't affect their ability to follow proper processes
Lincoln Restler
2:03:46
Well, the council gives them a whole lot of money, and so they they certainly should listen to us, or at least Gail.
2:03:56
RC So I wanna just shift gears to RCV.
2:04:01
Obviously, we were all kind of embarrassed by the 135,000 test ballots that were wrongly counted in the first tabulations of the RCV results in the June 21 primary.
2:04:16
You know, how confident is the BOE at this stage that you're all prepared for correct, accurate, timely, accounting of the RCV totals?
Michael Ryan
2:04:28
So I'm not trying to dodge a question, but I was not present, during the June 2021 primary.
2:04:36
I was out on extended, extended medical leave, and didn't come back until, the end of August that year.
2:04:43
So I have a kind of an understanding of what happened.
2:04:46
There was some test ballots in in the system.
2:04:48
My my under my limited understanding is that, although it caused a little bit of a kerfuffle, in the beginning it was corrected in about an hour, an hour and a half's time.
2:05:00
So there were remedial actions taken immediately in in my absence, and I we have done multiple, RCV contests, special elections, and another primary after that in 2023 where it wasn't repeated.
2:05:18
So it seems to
Lincoln Restler
2:05:19
But in much more modest scales.
Michael Ryan
2:05:20
Right.
2:05:21
Well, so I I would say this, respectfully, mister chairman.
2:05:27
Elections the size of elections don't make a difference to us if the processes are followed properly.
2:05:36
Right?
2:05:36
It just means that more people voted.
2:05:38
But if we take the steps that we're supposed to take, we take the same steps in a little election that we do in a in a larger election.
2:05:45
So so the fact that we got through, a a more modest election that happened to, you know, be a primary for some of your colleagues, they might not think it was so modest if they, you know,
Lincoln Restler
2:05:56
they were.
Michael Ryan
2:05:57
Right?
2:05:57
I mean Oh,
Lincoln Restler
2:05:58
it's not
Michael Ryan
2:05:58
implicit.
2:05:59
But the point is
Paul Seamus Ryan
2:06:00
it it
Michael Ryan
2:06:00
didn't repeat itself.
Lincoln Restler
2:06:02
Right.
Michael Ryan
2:06:02
And so when you think about large systems, if something happens on a small scale, it'll happen on a large scale.
2:06:09
Right?
2:06:10
So if you if you resolve it on the smallest scale, and it's and it's systemic, it will not be replicated on a larger scale.
2:06:19
Right?
2:06:20
So that's and and I just
Lincoln Restler
2:06:22
wanna ask about absentee ballots and RCV.
