A post with over three million views on X shows a paper ballot from Kentucky that was received with a small marking in the box, suggesting it was pre-filled for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Weird ballot shenanigans happening in Kentucky. If your ballot has any markings in any other boxes, make sure to ask for a new ballot or it could potentially be deemed inadmissible‼️ pic.twitter.com/EVqZl1pzrq

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 3, 2024

Verdict: Unsubstantiated

The Kentucky State Board of Elections and local officials deny the existence of pre-marked ballots, and has no record of any complaints made. Local officials told Check Your Fact the ballot pictured is not theirs.

Fact Check:

Multiple claims of voter fraud have circulated on social media in the days leading to the 2024 presidential election. States such as Arkansas and Kentucky have been especially scrutinized this week, with multiple viral claims of voting issues that local officials have pushed back on.

Popular X account Libs of TikTok posted a picture of a paper ballot that seems to have a marking already in the box where a voter would choose Harris. The post text states, “Weird ballot shenanigans happening in Kentucky” before instructing other voters to request a new ballot in case theirs would be found inadmissible.

Officials in Laurel County and the Kentucky State Board of Elections responded to inquiries from Check Your Fact with a statement that can also be found on their website. They state that no official complaints have been filed, and that if a voter receives a pre-marked ballot, they can “spoil” it and get a new one. (RELATED: Was Trump’s Name Misspelled On Ballots In Ohio?)

Kentucky State Board Of Elections/Archived Page

The statement also points out that instructions are included with every mail-in ballot, and it states that if more than one choice is marked using ink, the ballot will count if the voter circles their preferred candidate. Voters in Kentucky are urged to contact law enforcement should any ballots they receive have any pre-printed marks on them.

In an email late Monday, Laurel County clerk Tony Brown told Check Your Fact that the ballot in the tweet is not theirs. A sample ballot can be found on the Kentucky Secretary of State website.

Kentucky Secretary of State/Archived Webpage

Brandon Kilburn, a deputy clerk in Laurel County, also told Check Your Fact that the ballot was not from Laurel County. “This ballot is 100% NOT a ballot from Laurel County. This ballot comes from an entirely different vendor than the one we use. Libs of TikTok is promoting a false story considering the Kentucky State Board of Elections hasn’t even received a complaint of pre-marked ballots from any voter in Kentucky as of today.”