Rochester Officials Address Rumor About Marks on Ballots
In Rochester, NY, election officials are debunking a circulating online rumor that claims poll worker marks on ballots will disqualify votes. They state that stray marks do not invalidate a ballot unless they interfere with the readability of selections or…
Rochester, NY, October 23, 2026 —
Election officials in Rochester, New York, are disputing an online rumor that marks made by poll workers on ballots automatically disqualify votes. Officials say stray marks do not invalidate a ballot unless they interfere with the readability of a voter’s selections or with timing marks.
The distinction, as described by officials, is between a mark that is present on a ballot and one that affects whether selections or timing marks can be read. The rumor claims that poll worker marks alone are enough to make a vote invalid; officials say that is not the rule they have described.
The information provided does not identify the officials who issued the clarification, the online platform where the rumor circulated, or when the claim began spreading. It also does not give details about any particular ballot or report of a vote being disqualified because of a poll worker’s mark.
Officials’ stated guidance does not say that every mark is inconsequential. It identifies readability as the relevant condition: a stray mark does not invalidate a ballot unless it interferes with reading selections or timing marks. The summary does not provide additional details about how readability is assessed or what steps are taken when a mark causes a problem.
The clarification directly addresses the rumor’s central assertion while limiting the claim to the conditions officials specified. No further information was provided about the scale of the rumor, the number of voters who may have encountered it, or whether officials issued guidance through a particular channel.
Story summarized from the original created by Brett Davidsen on www.whec.com, see more information here.
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