The Electoral Commission has reminded voters that ballot papers marked in pencil or pen are equally valid, in response to concerns expressed on social media that votes not written in ink could be rubbed out and altered.
Polling stations routinely provide short pencils, attached to the booth by string, for people to mark their ballot paper with. But some, mostly pro-Brexit, voters have been urging people to bring their own pens to ensure their papers are not altered in favour of a remain vote.
Please please please take a pen to vote!! They provide pencils and I don't think we can trust a pencil!! As daft as it sounds 😂 #VoteLeave
— Oliver Holmes (@Oli_Holmes) June 23, 2016
If you vote with a pencil and you're voting LEAVE be sure that your vote will be erased and switched to REMAIN. #VoteLeave
— Mark Kennedy (@marksmile100) June 23, 2016
Remember, when you vote on the 23rd, take a pen to vote, and don't use the pencil. I wouldn't put anything past the IN brigade.#Brexit
— Simon Goodall (@MancinisPizza) June 13, 2016
One Ukip supporter claimed on Twitter that remain campaigners had called the police after she offered to lend her pen to voters outside a Chichester polling station.
Police came to Chichester polling station called by REMAIN side to stop me LENDING my PEN to all voters.#fraud pic.twitter.com/CGqra3yXR1
— Jacqueline Jackson (@willowhalegreen) June 23, 2016
A spokesman for Sussex police said they had been called to the polling station, in Durnford Close, by a volunteer who reported a disturbance, but that no offences had been committed and it was not being dealt with as a police matter.
Some local authorities have urged voters to use the pencils provided, with East Northants council drawing the ire of the conspiracy theorists by suggesting there were good reasons not to use a pen.
@ENCouncil absolute nonsense. The establishment pleading with voters to use pencils smacks of potential corruption. #EUref #VoteLeave
— Nibbs (@nibbs007) June 23, 2016
@ENCouncil Bullshit. Biro ink dries on contact with paper you muppets.
— Mug Punter (@Mug2Punter) June 23, 2016
But a spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said there was no legal requirement to use either, and voters were entitled to write in ink if they preferred. “The use of a pen or pencil is not specified in legislation. Pencils have been traditionally used for the purpose of marking papers and are available in polling stations, but voters are more than welcome to bring their own pens with them.”
There was no restriction on colour, she added, though “we are advising blue or black ink”. Asked if ballot papers were checked to ensure votes had not been erased and altered, the spokeswoman said all votes were verified and checked for spoiled ballots.
Other Twitter users, meanwhile, mocked the #usepens hashtag as a wild conspiracy theory.
I didn't take my own pen, because as far as I can tell I'm not completely fucking delusional.
— Charlie Brooker (@charltonbrooker) June 23, 2016
Don't use a pencil to vote or #usepens, tattoo it on your forehead and stuff yourself in the ballot box. Let's see MI5 fix that #tinfoilers
— David Banks (@DBanksy) June 23, 2016
I voted in pencil just in case MI5 need to change it later
— Brian Cox (@ProfBrianCox) June 23, 2016
