Does IRV require centralized counting of ballots?
No. IRV tallies are often done in local counting centers, but the count must be centrally coordinated. Some opponents have suggested that all ballots would need to be brought to a central location, in order to conduct an IRV tally. This is not the case whether a hand count, or computer aided tally is done. For example, in Ireland each counting location simply reports their initial tally to a central election authority, which in turn provides guidance about which candidate is to be eliminated and have his or her ballots redistributed with a hand count. Other jurisdictions keep the optical scan ballots secure in the customary manner, and simply centralize the ballot data to conduct the IRV tally. It is recommended in such situations that a random sample of voting machines be had audited to assure the ballot data conforms with the paper ballots.
