Precisiebalansen tijdens de stembusgang

Referenda and elections reflect the opinion of the general public. If irregularities occur during the counting of ballot papers, the head of state is informed. This was the case in the USA, for example, in 2000, when George W. Bush and Al Gore stood head-to-head in the presidential elections. The election outcome in the state of Florida was a crucial factor in the campaign, but yielded two different results when the votes were recounted, with Bush edging ahead after the first count, and the second count declaring Gore the victor. Bush vs. Gore became a major case in the top court of law in the USA and it was not until just before the end of the year that the judgment was announced, bringing the presidential elections to a close.

The fact that election results are discussed publicly is part of the democratic dialog. Precision scales can prevent counting procedures from coming under scrutiny, while helping to make the determination of election results simple, fast and accurate. So how does it work? Firstly the ballot papers are sorted by Yes and No; a reference quantity of 100 papers is then weighed and saved, and a pile of ballot papers is placed on the weighing pan. The numerical result appears on the display in a matter of seconds. Reliable and accurate.

Today, counting machines are used in polling places not only in the USA, but in Switzerland as well. Precision scales have been officially approved for use in referenda and elections in Switzerland for several years, provided that they fulfill the requirements for the mechanical counting of ballot papers. The Swiss Federal Office for Metrology and Accreditation (METAS) is responsible for granting approval. It specifies how the ballot papers are to be counted: "When using precision scales, a reference value must be determined immediately prior to the counting of votes by counting a known number of ballot papers. This reference value must be checked periodically and upon conclusion of the vote counting process. This ensures that there are no deviations from the original reference value." Precision in the polling place - officially approved and industrially tested.