Ballots are removed from the tabulator and saved with the tally in sealed bags for possible recount. Looks like the will be many either way.
In AZ i see it guaranteed, whoever wins the other party will demand recount.
All the system relies on Two man operation. Two representatives, each of one party do the job and sign.
ON every step. Problem arises if there is one party missing. The Detroit counting is, as I see example of typical fraud!
Second fraud method - they somehow provide fraudulent ballots and count them properly. That’s even more common. Unfortunately ballots are anonymous. Once fed to the machine, one cannot distinguish valid from fraudulent.
Mr Grijalva used to hold voting help parties - gathered all the infirm, elderly, minorities etc. Told them how to fill, gathered the ballots and then dropped them at the poling station, all by his people. If, despite all the “help” somebody filled it the “wrong” way, that ballot was discarded!
That’s Ballot harvesting!
It was outlawed in AZ, but there is no penalty!
Crazy.
Fontes actually came with an idea of correcting ballots - cross the mistake, fill in correction. He used in primaries, it was outlawed for the election. It would be super easy to correct few ballots during processing.
Mistakes could only be corrected by getting new ballot and starting from scratch!
Addendum.
IN AZ:
Mail in ballots, early voting ballots and privisionary votes go into envelopes and hold to processing. The envelopes are scanned, validated (signature), provisional ballots evaluated.
Then opened and fed to tabulators. (manually). If they are ok, it is OK. If there are problems (the tabulator complains) they correct them or whatever. If they are honest, that’s OK!
On election day only, voters actually feed the ballots to tabulators themselves and see if they are OK. If not they may get new ballot. SO I encourage people to do just that! Or they can drop in their mail in ballots on the last day. In case of provisional votes, they go into envelopes even on election day.
As far reporting order.
The “early” early vote and mail are actually processed before election (results kept secret until the polls are closed. ) Once the polls are closed, they are released instantly - that was the 39% vote Fox news made the call on.
Then the tabulator results are collected from the election day in person voting and added to tally.
Those are processed by now too. ( I am not sure if ALL, but substantially all)
What are now processing is the “late’ mail in and drops.
Eventually if it is close, they will address the provisional vote too. If it is not close, they do not even bother!
Due to circumstances I explained previously, the “early” early vote was skewed Dem. The in-person and “late” early vote are skewed rep.
That why Dems were leading and now they are not!
Will see what they come out with!
ANyway there will be a mess!
Pray!