No, initials on your ballot won't get it thrown out, Taylor County elections chief says
A social media rumor had it backwards. Texas law requires election workers to mark every paper ballot.
CountyTaylor County's top election official spent part of early voting knocking down a rumor that ballots marked with initials, a signature or letters will be disqualified.
Elections Administrator Dan Murray said the claim is false. Texas law requires the early voting clerk or the presiding election judge to mark every paper ballot, so those marks are a normal part of how ballots are handled. Neither his office nor poll workers in the field disqualify ballots over them.
Murray said voters should expect to see either a set of initials or a signature on the back of their ballot. They won't see check marks, stars or other symbols.
His office has been working to reach voters who may have seen the false posts. Murray said answering the claims takes time away from running the election, but he understands why the rumors worry people.
Questions about how your ballot is handled can go straight to the Taylor County Elections office.
