Launching: Ada County Is Publishing Everyone’s Ballots To See Online

Ada Country will be taking charge of rebuilding trust in elections with a transparency initiative. For the first time, the county has published all 271,186 ballots from its November 5 election on an interactive website. Powered by the Ballot Verifier tool, this system allows the public to look at ballots, filter results by precinct or race, and see exactly how votes were tabulated without compromising voter anonymity.

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According to the New York Times, since 2020, misinformation and false claims have destroyed confidence, with only 28% of Republicans expressing faith in election accuracy ahead of the 2024 election. Determined to address this, Ada County Clerk Trent Tripple, a Republican, favored the initiative as a way to restore credibility. “The idea is to get the vast majority of people back into this bucket of trusting elections,” Tripple said.

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The Massachusetts-based company Civiera developed the Ballor Verifier and is already impressing skeptics. The software allows anyone with internet access to review election data, hoping to bridge the gap between the voters and election integrity. But for most,  privacy remains a top concern, and steps have been taken to redact ballots from small precincts to ensure anonymity. Critics warn about potential misuse, such as vote-buying if ballots are uniquely marked.

The effort has earned bipartisan praise. Ada County Democrats Chair Erik Berg calls it a proactive solution to mistrust, while election officials nationwide are closely watching its impact.