[1] Promoters of the theory urge people to use pen on the basis that it makes it harder for MI5 to change the vote.
[1] The theory originated with "Yes" voters in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and was widespread among "Leave" voters during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.
[4] The Electoral Commission states that pencils are offered due to greater reliability and reduced risk of ink being transferred across a folded ballot paper.
[5] The conspiracy theory later spread beyond the UK and featured in the 2022 Australian federal election.
[6] This article related to the politics of the United Kingdom, or its predecessor or constituent states, is a stub.