An escrutinio is a review conducted by the Comisión Estatal de Elecciones (CEE), as a constitutional right, to recount election votes.
"The purpose is to verify the votes from the election and make sure none went uncounted," said Aníbal Vega Borges, the electoral commissioner for the Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP).
The audit process is carried out to include votes that have yet to be counted and to recount cases in which a candidate leads by "100 or fewer" votes over an opponent, Vega Borges added.
Once the audit is complete, a final certification is issued and sent to the candidate informing them that they have been elected, for four years, to the position they sought.
When does it take place?
According to the Código Electoral, the vote-validation process takes place after the CEE receives all ballots and voting materials.
For his part, Vega Borges said that to set the date for the escrutinio, commissioners from all parties met and reached a consensus to hold it on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
"This year it was decided that seven days after the election was reasonable," the PNP commissioner added.
Who takes part?
Representatives and volunteers from all parties work in the process.
How does an escrutinio work?
Votes are reviewed by precinct, polling place and unit, verifying the vote totals and identifying any that were not counted. In addition, "handwritten additions and ballots the machine did not read are verified," the commissioner said.
Beyond the votes still to be counted by precinct, the handwritten additions and the ballots the machine did not read, this year the count will also continue for outstanding early, home and absentee votes.
To carry out the process, there will be 60 tables to validate regular votes and four for early votes, Vega Borges said.
According to the commissioner, around 120,000 early votes have not been counted.
This year's escrutinio general will begin Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 8:00 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.
The length of the escrutinio, however, depends on the complexity of the electoral process.
Vega Borges said that in 2016 it lasted two and a half weeks, in 2020 it stretched to 31 days, and this year he estimates it will take a month and a half.
At press time, PlateaPR attempted to reach the electoral commissioners of the Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño, Partido Popular Democrático, Proyecto Dignidad and the Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana, but was unable to do so.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
