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London: Paranoid Vote Leave voters were on Thursday warning of an MI5 plot to rig the UK's EU referendum decision and urging voters to use pens instead of pencils so their votes could not be rubbed out.
ensure your #Leave vote stays secure:
1) bring a pen
2) take your ballot home, put it in your own personal box where MI5 can't ever find it— Peter Bowden (@petercbowden) June 22, 2016
DON'T LET THEM STEAL YOUR VOTE #BREXIT #LEAVE #EUref #EUreferendum #USEPENS #UKIP pic.twitter.com/DUbGCl7GVk— (((Get IN Jamie))) (@thisisrjg) June 8, 2016
Britain's Electoral Commission reminded voters that using pencils was a safe way to vote, but said voters could bring their own pens if they wished.
Remember – using a pencil to vote in the #EURef is fine. But you can use your own pen if you wish. Just don’t leave it behind!— Electoral Commission (@ElectoralCommUK) June 23, 2016
However the East Northamptonshire Council muddied the waters when it warned voters a smudged inky ballot paper might be disqualified, and urged the use of pencils instead.
Please use a pencil on your ballot paper as ink can smudge when its folded which could make the paper doubtful & it may not be counted— EastNorthantsCouncil (@ENCouncil) June 23, 2016
The council clarified its position several hours later and said using pens would be okay.
Following @ElectoralCommUK advice feel free to use a pen but make sure it doesn't smudge when folding so it is clear how you have voted 1/2— EastNorthantsCouncil (@ENCouncil) June 23, 2016
The plea for voters to use pens took off on social media on Thursday morning local time as Britons braved wet and stormy weather to cast their votes in one of the nation's most important decisions in decades.
Don't use a pencil, use a black marker pen to cast your vote tomorrow to counter vote rigging... #EUref pic.twitter.com/kx3WoWPpr0— Daily Agenda UK (@DailyAgendaUK) June 22, 2016
If voting take a pen, typically you'll be given a pencil meaning your vote could be erased #BrexitOrNot — tiara (@TAR_RAR) June 23, 2016
But the movement was immediately ridiculed as a "tin foil hat" conspiracy.
Don't #usepens take a chisel and a stone tablet, make sure your vote can't be changed #bonkers #tinfoilhat— Jimmy (@bigjaap) June 23, 2016
A group of MI5 agents stand flummoxed around a Ballot Paper marked in Pen. 'We have literally no choice but to count these' #usepens #foiled— Samuel Langtree (@SPLangtree) June 23, 2016