"Invisible ink" in Chicago

Only in Chicago:

Chicago election officials Tuesday afternoon were trying to unravel the mystery of the incredible invisible ink.

It's no Agatha Christie novel but a real case for election investigators sent to the 49th Ward's 42nd precinct Tuesday morning, after 20 ballots were cast with "magic" invisible ink pens. ...

Apparently, said city election board spokesman James Allen, the poll workers told incredulous voters-including one spouse of an election judge-that the stylus used for touch-screen voting was actually an inkless pen to fill out paper ballots.

"You spend months trying to prepare for every contingency," Allen said. "Trying to anticipate every possible way people might be confused . . . then this? Incredible." ...

"I'm incredibly angry, and I feel so dumb," said Amy Carlton, 38, of Rogers Park. "And I am not a dumb person."

Uh-huh.

"I've voted before," Carlton said. "I was thinking, 'This is crazy,' but when someone in authority insists, what are you supposed to do?"

I guess the first thing you do is ask for that secret de-coder ring that goes along w/the magic pen. Maybe the fact that "not dumb" people like this actually vote is part of our problem?? Maybe we should institute the "invisible ink" test when people go to vote. If they're dumb enough to fill out a ballot with it, their vote's don't count.

No word on whether or not the "invisible ink" was also used to record Chicago's cemetery vote.