As others have said, the scalability ideal is to have electric/mechanical counters but with paper ballots. Keeps the paper trail for double checking, but also allows poll workers to deliver quick initial results to everyone breathing down their necks.
Well here in Germany we have about 40-50 million votes to count in a federal election. Right when the booths close we get an exit poll that is already pretty close. After 1-2 hours there are extrapolations that are even closer and next morning, there is usually the certified result. All on paper, counted by hand.
Pretty sure that’s how we do it up on Canada. I think random samples are hand-counted to make sure the machine count is accurate. There’s early voting too so not all just in one day.
As others have said, the scalability ideal is to have electric/mechanical counters but with paper ballots. Keeps the paper trail for double checking, but also allows poll workers to deliver quick initial results to everyone breathing down their necks.
Well here in Germany we have about 40-50 million votes to count in a federal election. Right when the booths close we get an exit poll that is already pretty close. After 1-2 hours there are extrapolations that are even closer and next morning, there is usually the certified result. All on paper, counted by hand.
Unfortunately the software we use(d?) to transmitt and add up the votes is abysmal:
https://www.ccc.de/de/updates/2017/pc-wahl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J61-t3OJKg
Pretty sure that’s how we do it up on Canada. I think random samples are hand-counted to make sure the machine count is accurate. There’s early voting too so not all just in one day.
I’ve never used a machine in 40 years of voting in Canada. And if they show up, I won’t use them.
We fill out a paper, but a machine might scan them based on what OP is saying.
Then they will spot check it and have the paper backup if needed.
My state does Scantron style ballots. You fill in the little ovals and put it into a machine to be counted.