You can use ‘any pen, pencil’ to mark an absentee ballot

By June Watanabe

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 23, 2012

~~<p>Question: I received my ballot in the mail and noticed that the instructions do not specify that a pencil (or other instrument) should be used to mark the ballot. Does this mean that any writing instrument or color is OK, e.g., pen, crayon, etc.? Election personnel should make this clear; otherwise there will be just another screw-up, resulting in invalid ballots.</p>
<p>Answer: The old directive to use a dark-colored pen or pencil no longer is being given because technology has rendered it unnecessary.</p>
~~

Question: I received my ballot in the mail and noticed that the instructions do not specify that a pencil (or other instrument) should be used to mark the ballot. Does this mean that any writing instrument or color is OK, e.g., pen, crayon, etc.? Election personnel should make this clear; otherwise there will be just another screw-up, resulting in invalid ballots.

Answer: The old directive to use a dark-colored pen or pencil no longer is being given because technology has rendered it unnecessary. Login for more...