Duplication. Absentee ballots may be marked by any kind of pencil or ink. Certain types of pencil or ink, however, might not be readable by optical scanning equipment. Accordingly, ballots not marked with the appropriate pencil or ink should be referred by the local board to the duplication team. Possible Rejection. In a specific case, the local board may consider the particular pencil or ink used to be unusual enough to be considered an attempt to intentionally identify the ballot.