Ballot markers fail the test

Last Wednesday, the Local Executive Board of the National Electoral Institute (INE) in Michoacán presented the indelible ink markers which will be used next July 1st to mark the ballots.

However, during the live demonstration before media and political party representatives, it was possible to see that the marks can be erased from the ballots with an eraser.

According to the INE, the presentation was organized to give more certainty to voters and ensure the safety of their votes yet the strategy backfired when the media and political party representatives were able to see that the ink wasn't indelible and that it could be possible to manipulate the markings on the ballots.

An INE executive of the state, David Alejandro Delgado, was unable to provide an explanation for the failed test and only said that ballots showing signs of multiple traces would be considered spoilt and discarded.

While the election ink test was successful and the INE proved it couldn't be easily removed from the skin, there was still uncertainty among the journalists and party representatives over the ballot markers.

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