Size matters in barmy ballot claim debunk

Lachlan Coady March 29, 2023
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Chris Minns became premier following the NSW election on March 25. Image by James Gourley/AAP IMAGES

WHAT WAS CLAIMED

A NSW Electoral Commission official was caught rubbing out votes on a ballot paper.

OUR VERDICT

False. The official was completing internal administrative forms.

A video of an official completing administrative work is being shared online as part of an effort to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the NSW election.

Among the assertions is the claim that the man is caught using an eraser to alter ballot papers.

The claim is false.

The NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) official was attending to administration duties, notably filling in an internal tally sheet. 

Analysis of the footage confirms the man is not altering a ballot paper given the size and/or colour of the document differs greatly from the ballots used for the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly.

The election fraud claim has spread across social media.
The NSW election fraud claim has spread across social media.

The video is thought to have been recorded at a early voting centre in Sydney's southwest and has appeared across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - see examples here, here and here.

Analysis of the footage proves the claim is false.

The Legislative Assembly ballot paper used at the voting centre can be seen on the table throughout the video, in the bottom left of the shot (see image below). An example of a Legislative Assembly ballot can also be found on the NSWEC website - albeit in black and white. Both these examples show the narrow dimensions of the ballot paper.

Both ballots are visible on the table at the front of shot.
Both ballots are visible on the table in the video.

The document that the man appears to erase something from does feature the same orange stripe as the ballot paper. However,  the dimensions are markedly different.

At the five-second mark in the video (see image below), the man moves his hand across the paper, revealing the document's width. 

The document also cannot be a Legislative Council ballot paper. 

A copy of the Legislative Council ballot can also be seen on the table in the video. A version (in black and white) can be seen here.