Election ink

Marker to prevent double voting A line of voters showing their respective fingers during the 2005 Iraqi election. Electoral ink, indelible ink, electoral stain or phosphoric ink is a semi-permanent ink or dye that is applied to the finger of voters (usually the index finger) during elections in order to prevent electoral fraud such as double voting. It is used in countries where voter identity documents have not been standardised or institutionalised. One of the more common ink is based on silver nitrate, which can produce a stain lasting several weeks. It was first used during the 1962 general election in India. The ink was developed by the National Physical Laboratory of India, a research institute under the Ministry of Science and Technology of India, and manufactured by Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd. It is exported to more than 30 countries. Application A voter's left hand index finger stained with election ink. 15th Malaysian general election. Electoral stain is a practical security feature to prevent double voting in elections. Ink is typically applied to the left-hand thumb, over the nail and finger in a straight line, especially to the cuticle, where it is almost impossible