THE Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has rubbished claims that it issues pen with disappearing ink. In a bulk email sent out to various citizens across the country, a person claiming to work at a polling station (overseeing vote counting) urged residents to use their own pen because the pen provided uses an ink that eventually fades, thus spoiling the vote.

The email reads “use your own pen and not the one that they (IEC) provide, because the ink disappears. Also double check their voting paper is stamped at the back otherwise the vote does not count. I counted at the last election and all votes with no stamp of the local polling station were not counted. That is the very first item on the list that we check and the votes without stamps at the back are discounted immediately.”

Thabani Ngwira, provincial communications officer for the IEC, said the disappearing ink email was totally ridiculous. “We issue authentic pens, there is no truth to ink that fades once you have voted,” he said.

However, Ngwira urged residents to check the back of their ballot papers to make sure it was stamped. “There have been cases where ballot papers weren’t stamped and that is down to human error. I would advise all voters to check the back of the ballot paper.”

Important information to remember

• If you incorrectly mark a ballot paper and realise this before placing the paper in the ballot box, just ask the presiding Officer for a new ballot paper. Please make sure that the incorrect ballot paper is marked as “cancelled”.

• Once your ballot has been placed in the ballot box, it can’t be removed.