Reply #14: Randomizing Factor

[59sunburst]

This was calculated by generating numbers sequentially in increments of .0001. Because of the rounding, this trial and error method was the best way. The code I wrote would check each number to see if it would properly calculate the totals for the precinct for both the initial and final tallies. It would save the highest and lowest working values. So there was no set value but really a range. It was a very small range. I noticed that the ranges overlapped for adjacent precincts. The randomizing factors are numbers that are common to the ranges I found for adjacent precincts.

The randomizing factor I think was used so that Bush's 2000 numbers would not repeat as much. I also think it was used to pad his numbers in certain precincts.

It's hard to tell exactly what was being done. The rounding actually used may have been slightly different. There may have been some logic that turned this hacking on and off depending on the actual results.

By the way, I tried this same technique using Gore 2000 numbers and Kerry 2004 numbers. I was only able to get the calc to work for about 14 precinct. But no two adjacent precincts had a common randomizing factor.