Audit finds 2018 election in Broward County was marred by waste, extra votes, unnecessary delays

Too many ballots

For the November 2018 election, the Broward Supervisor of Elections Office estimated a 60% turnout of registered voters, and projected that half the voters would cast their ballots at neighborhood polling places on Election Day.

It ordered far more ballots. After the election, the excess was destroyed.

  • Budget projection: 348,091 ballots, $609,158.
  • Ordered & paid for: 921,142 ballots, $1.4 million.
  • Used: 224,795 ballots, $399,522.
  • Unused: 696,347 ballots, $1 million.

Note: Some extra ballots are always needed because it’s impossible to predict with certainty how many people will show up to vote. An audit concluded that $793,372 worth of the $1 million in unused ballots was wasted.

Source: Office of the Broward County Auditor, audit of Supervisor of Elections.