Editing Ink (section)

== Indelible ink ==
[[File:Un électeur avec l' encre indélébile au pouce, après son vote dans un centre dans la commune de la Tshopo à Kisangani (6418380139).jpg|thumb|A voter's thumb stained with indelible ink]]
{{main|Election ink}}
''Indelible'' means "un-removable". Some types of indelible ink have a very short shelf life because of the quickly evaporating solvents used. India, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia and other developing countries have used indelible ink in the form of [[electoral stain]] to prevent [[electoral fraud]]. Election ink based on [[silver nitrate]] was first applied in the [[1962 Indian general election]], after being developed at the [[National Physical Laboratory of India]].

The election commission in India has used indelible ink for many elections. Indonesia used it in its election in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 April 2013 |title=Indonesia Gears Up for 2014 General Elections |agency=Indonesian [[Antara (news agency)]] |url=https://en.antaranews.com/news/88463/indonesia-gears-up-for-2014-general-elections |access-date=3 August 2024 |quote=The logistics will include ballot papers, ballot boxes, and indelible ink that will be used in all polling stations throughout Indonesia }}</ref> In Mali, the ink is applied to the fingernail. The technique is not infallible and can itself be used in other types of fraud, as rather than bolstering one's own votes it can be used to eliminate opponent voters by marking them before they have chances to cast their votes. There are also reports of "indelible" ink washing off voters' fingers in Afghanistan.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/6061343/Afghanistan-election-indelible-ink-washes-off-voters-fingers.html Afghanistan election: 'indelible' ink washes off voters' fingers]</ref>