INDIANAPOLIS — Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell announced that county election officials are pushing back against viral social media posts falsely claiming that ballots marked by poll workers will be disqualified.
“There’s a social media post that’s been floating around since 2020; it states that any mark on a ballot will disqualify that ballot, and that’s simply not true,” Bell said.
Bell noted that such misleading claims often originate from foreign operatives.
While online posts allege that any stray mark voids a ballot, election officials explained that ballots actually require multiple authorized markings and signatures to be processed correctly.
“State law requires that there be two sets of initials on the back of every ballot for us to be allowed to count it,” Bell said.
During early voting, additional markings are required. Two poll workers initial each ballot before it is cast to confirm the voter’s identity. After the ballot is cast, two more poll workers sign to affirm the original initials. The voter signs the return envelope, and two additional poll workers also sign the envelope.
“There are marks on the ballot because they’re required by law,” Bell said. “Our elections are safe, and if we’re allowed to count your ballot, we’re going to.”
Bell confirmed that early voting turnout has surpassed expectations, significantly outpacing 2022 results, which makes the persistence of false ballot claims particularly frustrating for election...
INDIANAPOLIS — Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell announced that county election officials are pushing back against viral social media posts falsely claiming that ballots marked by poll workers...