A group in Colorado conducted a so-called “audit” of voters for the purpose of proving fraud in the election process there. Volunteers signed up to ask voters a series of questions to verify their existence and compare with official public records. According to reporting, these canvassers could be aggressive and unprofessional. Though the organization claims to have an “objective” survey script, its aims certainly appear otherwise — examining the quality of elections after having already come to a conclusion. The group’s mission statement states it was “established in response to overwhelming evidence of election irregularities and fraud in 2020.”
Like many efforts we have seen in the U.S. lately, the initiative purports the laudable and popular mission of transparency and of defending democracy through election integrity tools, like audits. Adopting the veneer of professionalism, the website is peppered with scientific language — praising the value of statistical samples and using terms like “forensic research.” Similar groups are forming to conduct independent election observation, a tried-and-true method used worldwide, but now coopted and misused.