No reason why it needs to be pencils specifically, just that they are the simplest, and simple is better. I was more trying to speak to the idea that a person i

No reason why it needs to be pencils specifically, just that they are the simplest, and simple is better. I was more trying to speak to the idea that a person is making the mark themselves without any other "machinery" or anything. I've seen complicated mechanical hole punching machines that can break down, or machines that generate a cast ballot that is placed in a box that you can't be sure cast the vote correctly. That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about avoiding when I say "using pencils". Plus once your vote is put in the box, it doesn't matter if the ballot itself can be tampered with, as there should be multiple people watching that box until counted. So pen or pencil makes no difference. Erasable or otherwise doesn't matter. It can even just be a hole you poke in a box using the pencil. The important part is that nobody can touch it till it's counted in front of a bunch of people who all don't trust one another.