CHEROKEE COUNTY, Texas — It's the first day of Early Voting in Texas and disinformation is already making the rounds.
In addition to working voting locations and county offices, local elections officials are forced to combat rumors regarding voting in their respective counties.
According to Cherokee County officials, a Facebook post is popping up concerning poll workers writing on ballots.
The post states:
"VERY IMPORTANT!!!!! A friend just posted this and I am sharing...'Just finished Poll Manager training! Please be advised that if you are checking in at the polls and they happen to write anything on your ballot before they give it to you to put in the voting machine...A letter, a checkmark, a star, an R or a D, any writing of any kind...please REQUEST A NEW BALLOT! Your ballot could be DISQUALIFIED if it is written on. PLEASE BE AWARE OF ANY SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR SUCH AS THIS AT THE POLLS!'"
To address this rumor, we go to the experts at the Cherokee County Elections Department (CCED).
"We must sign or initial each ballot before we give it out," the CCED said in a statement. "You scan and cast your vote before you leave the polling place."
The CCED says the information from the Facebook post is wrong and "just because it's on Facebook doesn't mean it's true."
Therefore, we rate the information in the Facebook post as FALSE.
If you have any questions concerning the elections, reach out to the VERIFY Team by texting VERIFY to (903) 600-2600.