Posts shared by × warns U.S. voters that using a Sharpie marker to fill out their ballot will disqualify their vote.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you draw on the ballot or mark it outside of the little bubble, it will be invalidated.
Please do not write on your ballot unless you wish to do so. @KamalaHarris To win.
There are people who tell you to write on your ballot or outside the lines…
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) October 13, 2024
Verdict: False
This claim has resurfaced in multiple election cycles, but has no basis in fact. Election officials in several states have publicly raised and dismissed the concerns.
Fact check:
Georgia reported record turnout in the first two days of early voting for the 2024 presidential election. ABC News. In North Carolina, 76 polling places have opened in 25 counties affected by Hurricane Helen. fox news Reported.
The X post, originally written by political activist Laura Loomer, featured replies from multiple users who claimed that ballots marked with a Sharpie are invalid. “Arizonians, no matter what anyone tells you, don’t even use a Sharpie. It says on your ballot that you should only use black or blue pens,” the caption of one post read. are.
This claim has resurfaced several times in recent elections, including in 2020 and 2022, and has been repeatedly debunked by election officials and fact-checkers. During the 2020 election, a controversy erupted in Maricopa County, Arizona, with some voters claiming they were intentionally given sharpeners to ruin their ballots. In response, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors clarified Sharpie is recommended because the fast-drying ink minimizes smudges and allows tabulation machines to scan ballots more efficiently.
Arizona Clean Elections Commission statement Assuring voters that new election machines being used in the county are designed to work optimally with Sharpie ink. Even if the ink bleeds onto the paper, it won’t affect the vote tally because the design of the ballot paper is such that the markings won’t affect other races. (Related: Viral X Post Makes False Claims About Pennsylvania Mail-in Voting During 2020 Election)
Similarly, in 2022, the Illinois State Board of Elections dealt with In the same rumor, it was confirmed through the X account that many voting machines are optimized for use with felt-tip pens. “Don’t worry if they hand you a Sharpie,” the post read. “They are often favored by the electoral system.”
In other jurisdictions, including Santa Clara County, California; echoed These feelings of security. The election website recommends Sharpie because the ink dries quickly and is more easily detected by scanners. Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office made the announcement. resemble guidanceto ensure that votes marked with a sharp are counted. Montgomery and Bedford counties in Pennsylvania also said: their website That mechanical pencils are safe to use on ballots.
Despite repeated efforts to correct this misconception, it continues to spread online. Both the 2020 and 2022 elections were rife with misinformation about voting procedures, including false claims of deleted votes and duplicate ballots.
