Pauline Hanson addresses pencil conspiracy for the 2022 federal election

Pauline Hanson said she has noticed her followers asking a question about voting in the election, so she’s put out a video to address it.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said she has noticed her followers repeatedly asking a question about voting in the election, and she put out a video to address it.

She said a number of people following her pages on social media have been asking whether they can vote in pen.

The standard practice in voting booths across the nation is to use pencils as they are seen as the “most reliable implements for marking ballot papers”, according to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).

However, some One Nation supporters are clearly concerned by the use of pencils and it looks as if many are planning to bring their own pens to the voting booths.

The fear is that, if they were to mark their ballot in pencil, their vote could be rubbed out and changed by a government official after it has been cast.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3243205109232650

In a video to her followers Ms Hanson told her followers they could “of course” vote using a pen.

“If you feel very comfortable voting in pen rather than pencil — take your own pen or use the pencil that’s provided,” she said. “It is legal to mark your ballot paper in pen.”

One Nation fans welcomed the video, saying they would indeed be bringing their own pens.

“I don’t trust them voting with pencil, so yes I will be happy to vote with pen,” said one.

“This was a family discussion the other day and the majority opinion was that pen should be mandatory,” said another. “Also when marking the ballot paper take time writing down you (sic) numbers just so things like a 2 isn’t taken for a 5 by the scrutiniers (sic).

Ms Hanson went on to say her followers had also been asking whether they could vote in person if they are unvaccinated — to which she said they could.

The conspiracy that pencil-marked ballots could be altered is a relatively new idea, despite pencils being used at voting stations in Australia for decades.

It became a popular theory overseas in the UK during the Brexit and Scottish independence votes in 2016 and 2014 respectively.

On Twitter the hashtags #Usepens and #Pencilgate were used to promote the theory.

Further to this, the legitimacy of election results was called into question by the Trump administration during the 2020 United States presidential election.

Now the pencil conspiracy appears to be gaining some traction in Australia.

Ms Hanson said voters could bring their own pens.

According to the AEC, the provision of pencils used to be a legal requirement, but since 2020 under section 206 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 it is required to provide an ‘implement or method for voters to mark their ballot papers’.

It says pencils are the most reliable way to provide this.

“The AEC has found from experience that pencils are the most reliable implements for marking ballot papers,” it said.

“Pencils are practical because they don’t run out and the polling staff check and sharpen pencils as necessary throughout election day. Pencils can be stored between elections and they work better in tropical areas.”

The good news for our more sceptically-minded friends is that there is nothing stopping them from bringing their favourite pen down to mark their ballot.

“There is nothing to prevent an elector from marking his or her ballot paper with a pen if they so wish,” said the AEC.