Misleading: People's ballots in Arizona are being labeled as 'canceled.'

By: Devika Kandelwal
November 5 2020

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Voters can track their ballots on 'BallotTrax' and if they come across any issues with their ballots, they can easily resolve it over the phone.Following the race call on Nov. 4 that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden had flipped the Republican-stronghold of Arizona, social media posts were circulated suggesting that votes for President Donald Trump were canceled. Many suggested that their votes are canceled because they were forced to use Sharpie permanent markers to mark their ballots and that the voting machines were not reading those ballots. However, that is misleading and false. A video released by the Maricopa County Elections Department on YouTube states that one can use a black or blue pen or Sharpie to fill out your ballot in Maricopa County. It further states that voting centers are using fine-tip Sharpies because it is the fastest-drying ink and works best on the tabulation equipment. Therefore, the Sharpie is a preferred pen for filling out ballots in Maricopa County. Furthermore, voters can track their ballots on 'BallotTrax' and if they come across any issues with their ballots, they can call the voter assistance hotline and resolve the issues over the phone going through a few easy verification points.