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Why do you have to use a pencil in voting booths? General Election stationery rules explained
Scroll down for a video on how to vote
A GENERAL Election is upon us, with people across the UK getting ready to cast their vote.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a snap election for July 2024.
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Why do you have to use a pencil in voting booths?
It is a tradition in the UK for voters to mark ballot papers with lead pencils, which are supplied in polling booths.
This is the same in local elections, general elections and referendums.
Pencils are preferred for both historical and practical reasons.
Ink can smudge, dry out or spill over the paper, which could invalidate a person's vote.
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When the paper is folded over, pen ink might transfer into another box, making it look like the voter has voted more than once or for someone they didn't intend to.
Some people have questioned whether pencils make fraud more likely.
In theory, a voter's X could be rubbed out and replaced with a vote for another candidate.
At the EU referendum, police were called to a polling station after a voter lent another their pen amid rumours of a conspiracy to erase pencil marks.
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A PCSO arrived at one polling station after a volunteer made a 999 call to police alleging “threats and intimidating behaviour".
It is said to have been suggested a woman had been trying to influence the way people were voting but she insisted she was trying to lend them a pen.
How to vote in the General Election and what NOT to do in the polling station
Can you bring your own pencil to the polling station?
You can bring your own pen or pencil to the polling station to use.
There is no "legal requirement" to use a pencil but that's what is usually provided in the booths.
However, some people may opt to cast their choice via a postal vote instead of heading to the polling stations.
You can apply for a postal vote if you're away from home or if you're abroad and want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales.
Pencils are supplied at the polling station - often attached to a string in each booth so they don't get lost.
There is nothing to stop a voter from using a pen to mark their vote - there is no legal requirement for ballot papers to be marked with a pencil.
Electoral Commission
But there is nothing to stop voters from bringing their own.
The important thing is to clearly mark your voting intention on the paper.
According to the Electoral Commission, there are a number of practical reasons why pencils are provided at polling stations.
They said: "In the UK, pencils are traditionally used for the purposes of marking ballot papers and are made available inside polling stations for voters to use.
"However, there is nothing to stop a voter from using a pen to mark their vote - there is no legal requirement for ballot papers to be marked with a pencil.
"The reason that pencils are traditionally used is partly for historical and practical reasons: with ink pens there is always a risk that they may dry out or spill.
"Also, ink may cause some transfer of the mark the voter has made on the ballot paper when they fold it, thus potentially leading to a rejection as it may look like they have voted for more options than they are entitled to."
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Can I change my vote at the polling station?
Yes, you can change your vote at the polling station but you need to request another form.
If you used a pencil you can erase your mistake using a rubber.
However, not all polling stations provide rubbers, so be sure to bring your own.
The next General Election is set to go ahead on Thursday July 4, 2024.
Mr Sunak announced the news outside Downing Street on Wednesday May 22, 2024, when he said: "The King has granted this request, and we will have a general election on July 4.
"This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War."
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