Hand Counting Works in Any County, Any Size

The Myth: Hand Counting Only Works in Small Counties

Hand counting works in any county, regardless of size—it’s a myth that it’s only feasible in small areas. Many assume larger counties need machines due to higher ballot volumes, but this ignores a key fact: the number of ballots cast at polling places matters more than the county’s size. Across the U.S., the average polling place sees 360–480 ballots (600–800 registered voters at 60% turnout). Whether in a small or large county, hand counting scales to handle this workload efficiently.

Why Polling Place Size Matters

Compare Osage County, Missouri (under 10,000 voters), to St. Charles County (292,000 voters) during the April 2023 election. In Osage (small), at Westphalia polling place, 481 ballots were hand-counted by one team (4 people) in 5 hours. In St. Charles (large), with 115 polling places, 83 had fewer than 481 ballots; the rest were under 1,000. With 1–2 teams per polling place, St. Charles could have hand-counted the entire election in 5 hours.

Visualize and Plan with Tools

The Visualizations of Voter Turnout tool (available at ReturntoHandCounting.com/Tools) uses historical data to show polling place turnout. In St. Charles, most polling places need just 1‑2 teams, even in presidential elections, proving hand counting can be used in small, medium, or large counties.

Action for Elected Officials

Hand counting works in any county—small or large. Use my Visualizations tool to assess your jurisdiction’s polling places and support hand counting for transparent elections.

Read the full content at Finding: Works in Any County, Any Size