FYI there s nothing to stop you casting your vote in crayon
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Now we know... and knowing is half the battle.Keep reading...Show less
FYI there' s nothing to stop you casting your vote in crayon
Christopher HootonMay 06, 2015 David Cameron might have somewhat ambiguously advised you to "grab hold of your stubby pencil" when in the voting booth tomorrow, but there's really no rules on which writing implement you use on your ballot. According to the Electoral Commission: "There’s nothing in the law that says you have to use a pencil." This opens up a host of possibilities, from writing your vote in crayon (I'm looking at you, UKIP supporters) to casting it in blood Game of Thrones style. We've reached out to the Electoral Commission for some clarification on the boundaries of artistic vote-casting.Update The Electoral Commission has sent us this via email
"The use of a pen or pencil when completing the ballot paper is not specified in legislation. In the UK, pencils are traditionally used for the purposes of marking ballot papers and are made available inside polling stations for voters to use. Having said this, there is nothing to stop a voter from using a pen to mark their vote – there is no legal requirement for ballot papers to be marked with a pencil. Pencils have been used partly for historic and partly for practical reasons. The use of pencils does not in itself increase the likelihood of electoral fraud: while pencil marks can be rubbed out, similarly, pen marks can be crossed out. What is key is that the integrity of the process from the point that a voter marks their ballot paper to the declaration of the result is maintained. To this end, the legislation has built specific safeguards into the process, such as the requirement for seals to be attached to ballot boxes at the close of poll. By law, candidates and agents are also entitled to be present at that stage and to attach their own seals if they wish. At the start of the count, they can then observe those same seals being broken. "In our guidance we advise Returning Officers to be alert at the count to any ballot papers with anything unusual about them and package these separately to help with any future investigation. Tampering with ballot papers is a serious offence and if anyone has evidence or particular concerns that ballot papers are being tampered with, they should report this to the police."Now we know... and knowing is half the battle.Keep reading...Show less