News election

The takedown of this ballot box conspiracy theory was a proper vote winner

Poke Staff. Updated July 4th, 2024

The votes have been cast, the exit poll is out and now it’s all down to the counting.

And – not for the first time – some people have raised eyebrows that you’re given a pencil to mark your X in the box. And this A++ comeback shared by @Otto_English was a proper vote winner.

And just in case that’s tricky to read, here it is again in full.

Boom.

And just in case you’re still not convinced, we’ve gone and looked it up and here’s what the Independent says.

‘Pencils are typically used for practical reasons – pens may dry out or spill on to the voting booth.

‘Ink can also transfer on to different parts of the page when the ballot paper is folded, potentially leading to a vote being rejected if the voter appears to have picked multiple candidates.

‘The Electoral Commission adds that there are safeguards in place to prevent tampering with ballot papers.

‘Seals are attached to ballot boxes at the close of voting, and are removed only when the count begins. Candidates are allowed to monitor the process and attach their own seals if they wish, and to check them before ballot boxes are opened.

‘The police investigated just 13 allegations of tampering with ballot papers during the 2019 general election, with only one leading to a conviction. This was after a person entered a polling station and took hold of a ballot box, preventing other people from voting.’

Source @Otto_English