DEF CON 2025

DEF CON 33 Voting Village - Risk Limiting Audits: What They Are and Aren't

Risk-limiting audits (RLAs) limit the "risk" of certifying that the wrong candidates won. There are RLA methods for almost every type of political election in the US, including plurality, multiwinner plurality, supermajority, and instant-runoff voting. The latest RLA methods make it practical to audit every contest in every election, even in large jurisdictions with hundreds of contests. RLAs can "tie a bow around" a well-run election that uses trustworthy, organized methods to record and store votes. They cannot magically make a poorly run election trustworthy any more than fastening your seatbelt after an accident will prevent injury. Applying RLA procedures to an untrustworthy vote record is "security theater" that does not limit the risk of certifying the wrong winners.