No, Sharpies Don't Invalidate Your Ballot
During recent elections, a misleading claim has circulated on social media suggesting that poll workers are deliberately providing voters with Sharpie markers to invalidate their ballots. This claim is entirely false and has been thoroughly debunked by election officials across the country.
In fact, Sharpies are often the preferred marking tool at many polling locations because they:
- Create clear, dark marks that are easily readable by ballot scanning machines
- Dry quickly, preventing smudging and potential ballot handling issues
- Don't bleed through ballots, as modern ballots are specifically designed to prevent this
Election officials and voting equipment manufacturers have confirmed that ballots marked with Sharpies are processed accurately by vote counting machines. For example, Maricopa County, Arizona, specifically recommends Sharpies because their voting system's manufacturer, Dominion Voting Systems, indicates that Sharpies provide the most reliable marks.
The origin of this misconception may stem from voters seeing ink through their ballots, but this is not a problem. Ballots are intentionally printed with offset columns on each side so that marks don't overlap with voting spaces on the reverse side.
If you're concerned about your ballot being counted, remember that you can:
- Ask poll workers about acceptable marking tools at your polling location
- Request a replacement ballot if you make a mistake
- Track your ballot through your local election office's website in many jurisdictions
The bottom line: Your vote counts whether you use a Sharpie, ballpoint pen, or other approved marking device. Don't let misinformation discourage you from exercising your right to vote.
