Defining audits and recounts:

An audit (tabulation audit) is a routine part of the post-election process designed to check whether ballots were counted accurately. It normally happens regardless of the reported election results. In a tabulation audit, randomly selected ballots are examined, usually (and preferably) by hand.

A recount is performed in response to circumstances involving a specific contest, such as a very close vote. Recounts are initiated automatically by statute or requested by candidates, voters, or, in some cases, by other parties. In most cases, the objective of a recount is to determine the outcome of a specific contest by counting all the ballots again.