(WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com) — On Thursday, a statewide risk-limiting audit (RLA) of the 2022 midterm election initiated the rolling of 20 ten-sided dice to create the random 20-digit seed number.

According to the Department of State, counties will use the seed number to retrieve batches of ballots to be audited.

Acting Secretary of State, Leigh M. Chapman, said, “This is the first step in the scientifically designed audit procedure that counties will be following to confirm the outcome of the governor’s race using statistical methods.“

Chapman stated, “RLAs are considered the gold standard of robust election audits.”

The dice roll was live-streamed.

In 2019, the department assembled a post-election audit workgroup that conducted research, experimented with different RLAs, and aided many counties through pilot RLAs over the years.

The department reports that many experts, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Senate Select Intelligence Committee, have suggested RLAs as a crucial part of
guaranteeing the precision and integrity of elections.

The RLA will be in addition to the 2% required recount that counties must perform after each primary and general election.

Counties must validate their election results to the Secretary on Nov. 28, 2022.