The conspiracy theory about Elections Canada and pencils is like a lot of conspiracy theories: it’s a breakdown of institutional trust, it’s bad faith actors preying on the gullible, and it’s stupid
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Anyone concerned about our election integrity should be a poll worker at least once. That way you can see 1st hand how the ballots are counted (in front of several people, including members of each party) and then reported to each district. It is a truly great experience.
Chuffed to report that my 3 grandkids, early 20’s, are all working at polling stations this weekend. They are cool, hip, smart and empathetic. The kids are all right! 😊😊😊
I'm always pleased to see many young people as poll clerks..yea, the kids are all right. Would be great if secondary schools & colleges & unis urged students to do so (and offered credits towards grad). We live in a great country.
This is funny. I was thinking of this today. The pencil and paper thing sure prevents tampering with voting machines. And Ivanka Trump owns a company that makes voting machines.
Yeah the convoy types are claiming Elections Canada put pencils out so the votes can be erased and changed 🙄
Never mind that the little pencils are cheaper and don't get stolen as much. And that it's impossible to change votes. Those pencils have been used since I worked polls about 40 years ago.
Pencil markings aren't easy to erase without a trace. Lame. My polling station was using these huge pencils. Not like the golf ones, but more like ones the Friendly Giant would use. 🍁😁
I'm a Poll Supervisor this go-round. Elections Canada Returning Offices are supposed to pack, check, recheck and deliver all ballots and related supplies to Polls. Everything important is very carefully tracked.
Pencils are not - they forgot to give my polls ANY. Ya got what we scrounged.
We were so slammed on Friday, I went from midnight Thursday to 8 pm tonight mostly offline. Heard about the 2MM+ record turnout when my Sr.CPS heard it from the EC office at check-in. WOW.
But there is no rule/reg about WHAT you mark your ballot with. Only that you mark it clearly for ONE candidate.If you brought a toddler with you and they're carrying a green crayon, use that.
An erased ballot would be quite clearly visible to be a spoiled ballot and would be removed from the count.
Blood would work if you feel you need strong magick, but you've have to load it in a fountain pen because a fingerprint is something that could possibly identify the elector and would also be considered a spoiled ballot.
Anyone who has used an eraser before knows it is time-consuming to do and it leaves pretty obvious evidence that something was erased. It would take weeks to erase enough to make a material difference. If you're going to pick a conspiracy theory, pick one that isn't stupid at a basic level.
My neighbours and I voted today and we all thought the pencil we were given was a bit odd, only because it was kind of on the hard side and didn't leave a really strong mark. No one seriously worried about it being tampered with, though.
Anyone with conspiracy theories about voting needs to spend a day in a polling station. Volunteer as a party scruitineer and find out. For the most part, it’s the dull work of people helping others vote. If something is amiss, scruitineers are there to report and ensure it is resolved. System works.
I voted today and there was only a large black marker. I didn't notice if pencils were available at the table with the poll worker, but the enclosed booth only had a marker.
I hope that in a week or so, unlike the US, rational people in Canada will not even think of humoring these clowns when they cry about "stolen elections" and the like. Shut them down quickly, and shut them down hard
As long as no high profile politicians (looking at you pp) legitimize it, it’ll remain a fringe for a bit. That being said, i agree with you to some extent some loons will overreact.
All the people that go for these anti govt conspiracy theories do it because deep down they realize that given any kind of ethical choice, they would make wrong one so they just assume that everything is crooked because they would be. it just a tell of who these people really are.
These stupid conspiracy theories arise and flourish because people are so desperate to make sense of the fact that our vicious neoliberal system is crushing them while corporate media fails to describe and criticize that system, and in fact, does their best to uphold it
Even better is the conspiracy theory that timing the election to Easter weekend is religious discrimination, when
1. it's not even election day
2. you can mail in a ballot
3. you can vote at any election office any day until election day
4. church is done at like noon you can still go vote
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https://bsky.app/profile/flyingstronger.bsky.social/post/3ln6e4555tc2l
This is a nothing-burger.
Never mind that the little pencils are cheaper and don't get stolen as much. And that it's impossible to change votes. Those pencils have been used since I worked polls about 40 years ago.
Pencils are not - they forgot to give my polls ANY. Ya got what we scrounged.
An erased ballot would be quite clearly visible to be a spoiled ballot and would be removed from the count.
Don’t be fooled.
https://factcheck.afp.com/list/Canadian-elections-2025
It's dumb as shit because the counts are overseen by all political parties and nobody can rub anything out but that doesn't matter to them
Believe them !!
1. it's not even election day
2. you can mail in a ballot
3. you can vote at any election office any day until election day
4. church is done at like noon you can still go vote
2. When I was 1st posted to NS, muni elxns were held on Sundays to allow for max participation
X, filled in, check mark, circle, are all fine.
This is from my training as a District Returning Officer.
Scratch...and to the left.
Scratch...and to the left.
Scratch...and to the left.
No mention of it being put in a sealed box in front of your eyes and then counted by 3-4 polling staff at the end of the night.
We shouldn't. It's a clue.