Advisors & Partners

Dr. Ed Aguirre Danny Schechter Aguirre International

Ira Glasser Dr. Robert Santos
Dr. Allan LIchtman Dr. Dan Wallach
Gregory Palast Dr. Fritz Scheuren
Ben Bagdikian Yobie Benjamin
Roy Saltman Craig Newmark
Pradeep Saxena Eva Waskell 2269 Chestnut Street, 611
San Francisco, CA 94123
Tel: 650.814.7840
Fax: 650.429.2150
December 10, 2004
5837 Karric Square Drive
Suite 133
via facsimile and overnight letter: (937) 544-5111 Columbus, OH 43016
Tel: 614.937.8754

Mary Fannin
Director
Adams County Board of Elections
215 N. Cross St., Room 103
West Union, OH 45693
SUBJECT: VOTEWATCH OFFERS PRO BONO SUPPORT SERVICES FOR YOUR OFFICE
HELP WITH SELECTION OF 3% MANUAL RECOUNT OF THE 2004 ELECTION

Dear Mary Fannin:

Votewatch is a non-profit, non-partisan election oversight organization with offices in Ohio and
California. In conjunction with volunteers from the American Statistical Association, Votewatch is
extending our services on a pro bono basis to assist your office in randomly selecting the precinct(s)
in each county to represent at least 3% of the November 2, 2004, total vote as part of the recount
process. We are dedicated, as you are, to assuring the public that election processes have been carried
out transparently, determining the correct election totals in Ohio, and showing the public that a well
planned and credible recount is carried out.

Because the first 3% in each county of the Ohio recount will determine whether the remaining 97% is
done manually or by machine, it is essential that a good deal of thought and planning is given to how
this 3% recount is conducted.

Why is this important? The results of a manual recount of a statistically random sample of the total
vote can be generalized to apply to the entire county. Using this scientific approach will help your
county convey to its citizens the validity of your work in the recount. Therefore, how the 3% sample
of the total vote is selected is just as important to public perception as the recount results themselves.

With volunteers from the American Statistical Association, Votewatch can help you select a
random sample of 3% of the total county votes. This service is offered to you on a pro bono basis.

Volunteers from the American Statistical Association in combination with Votewatch are offering our
election and statistical expertise to your office to help you select a random set of precincts for this
recount effort. We believe that an outside independent group selecting the sample, or providing the
methodology for sample selection, will help ensure a fair and accurate recount and will further
enhance the public’s trust of the recount results.
December 10, 2004
page 2 of 2

For example, Votewatch may suggest a methodology that divides the selection process into two
pieces. The first part concentrates on isolated precincts where concerns about irregularities may
already exist, and the second part involves a random selection of the remaining precincts to uncover
previously unknown irregularities, if any. The strategy is to increase the likelihood of identifying
issues, if they exist at all.

There also exist other potential issues associated with selecting the sample to recount, and Votewatch
can help your county create a methodology that most effectively addresses these challenges. For
example, if the first randomly selected precinct happens to be large, comprising 3% or more of your
county’s votes, then according to SoS Directive 2001-10, you may use this single precinct – a sample
size of one – as the basis of your initial audit. This will not allow your county the ability to assess the
accuracy of different types of voting methods (punch card, optical scan or touch screen) nor address
real concerns about obtaining a mixture of traditionally Republican and Democratic precincts. Yet
skipping this large precinct in favor of smaller ones ignores potential difficulties unique to larger
precincts. Votewatch statisticians can help your county devise a methodology for selecting 3% of
the total vote that will help address these kinds of issues.

An additional potential issue that your county faces is the random selection mechanism – such as a
computerized random number generator – because certain types of generators are renowned to have
poor random qualities. Votewatch statisticians have the expertise to choose random selection
techniques that will hold up to scientific scrutiny.

Votewatch hopes to work with you to devise the best methodology possible to ensure a statistically
sound and randomized process for your county.

We believe Ohio can benefit greatly from outside, independent and credentialed statisticians who are
familiar with random sampling to help you through the myriad of challenges that you are facing. For
public concerns to be alleviated, the 3% samples need to hold up to the scrutiny of the scientific
community. We can help you.

To discuss this offer of pro bono assistance, or if you have questions, please call me on (614) 937-
8754.

Sincerely,
VOTEWATCH CORPORATION
Your Eye on Elections

XXXX
XXXX
Steven Hertzberg,
Project Director

cc: J. Kenneth Blackwell,

Ohio Secretary of State