𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄

X (Which Everyone Still Calls Twitter) ^ | October 25, 2026 | M.A. Rothman

[PJ-Comix]

𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄 — 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐓 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏

A new viral demonstration shows exactly how it works: California's vote-by-mail return envelope has a small cutout where voters sign. Fold the ballot the way the envelope invites you to, and that cutout can land directly over a filled-in oval — in this demo, a mark for gubernatorial candidate 𝐗𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚.

“𝘚𝘰 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘣𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦,” the voter warns in the clip, after holding the folded ballot up to the hole and showing the exposed circle.

This isn't a new complaint — it's a complaint California keeps having to answer. The same hole sparked outrage during the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥, when critics noted the design could reveal “𝘺𝘦𝘴” votes before an envelope was even opened. It surfaced again during 2025's Prop 50 special election, when the Secretary of State's office told worried voters they could fold their ballots differently — or just vote in person.

The state's standing answer hasn't changed either: officials call the hole an 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 for sight-impaired voters, and say the odds of any single mark lining up with it are low. Maybe so. But a design flaw that keeps requiring the same reassurance, election after election, isn't exactly confidence-inspiring — especially heading into a razor-close Becerra-vs-Hilton governor's race.

𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏.

Source: @libsoftiktok https://t.co/gYeKm4zrlG— M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman) October 25, 2026

---

TOPICS: Conspiracy; Politics
KEYWORDS: california; clickbaitremake; holealignment; mailballots; xavierbecerra

[PJ-Comix]

They've been doing the same damn CHEAT in California for FIVE YEARS. Yet when the federal government wants to clean up their fraud they screech about "voter suppression." Please click thru to see the video demonstrating the amazingly "coincidental" hole alignment.

[VTenigma]

Of course they do. That’s so they can throw all the Republican votes in the dumpster.

[woweeitsme]

Mail in ballots should be OUTLAWED nationwide. That type of voting is ripe with fraud.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Heard that 2 years ago. If they get away with cheating it’s our fault.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Of course there’s a hole. Ballots have to breathe. Everybody knows that.

[rlmorel]

"...Of course there’s a hole. Ballots have to breathe. Everybody knows that..."

LOL!

[rlmorel]

I had to ask Grok: “Do California mail-in ballots have a hole in the envelope?” and it answered “Yes”.

When I asked why, it said:

******************************************
Why the holes exist: Officials and county election offices consistently describe two main purposes:

Accessibility — Holes next to or around the signature area help visually impaired or low-vision voters feel where to sign.

Processing/verification — A hole (often on the opposite side) lets election workers quickly confirm an envelope is empty after the ballot is removed, or that a ballot is present.
******************************************
Oh. Okay. I feel much more reassured now.

/s

[AZJeep]

Yes,
Crooked postmen can discard them.
During the processing, they analyze the signatures or similar identifications. These clearing people can then disfavor the signatures of the people who do not vote their way!

[Drago]

Every CA county has a different envelope design...my Fresno County ballot envelope has 2 holes in the “sealing flap” over the ballot envelope signature area (the holes do not go thru to the ballot area inside)...it is for the “GROK” stated reason of “vision impaired signature area help”. So the headline is incorrect...all CA ballot envelopes do not have “through holes” that go to the ballot inside.

I remember the video featured in this post from at least 4 years ago...lacks credibility IMHO....you can insert the ballot into the envelope at least 4 ways (which would defeat the supposed “cheating mechanism”)....more if you fold it opposite to the way it arrived in the mail.

[PJ-Comix]

Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton were running against each other four years ago?

[Does so]

How Soviet of California...

[Drago]

---

Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton were running against each other four years ago?

---

Nope, but the “ballot hole” video got “resurrected”/re-made for 2026...”hole-gate” originally appeared in a 2021 “conspiracy” video...see:

https://youtu.be/xby63r59zyA?si=SBSF__qrC22-Wdli

[cp124]

Corrupt CA. What a shithole.

[lee martell]

For that very reason, I always mail my ballot with that little peep hole showing nothing but blank, opaque, white paper. They can look all they want, I will divulge no private data for their convenience.

[PJ-Comix]

For that very reason, I always mail my ballot with that little peep hole showing nothing but blank, opaque, white paper. They can look all they want, I will divulge no private data for their convenience.

Ah! An inscrutable ballot thought the election worker ...DUMP IT!

[blackdog]

Again? That was last election, too. A “R” showed from the outside of the envelopes, making it easier to hijack conservative votes.

[Republican Wildcat]

Or put in a stray mark so it gets “counted”, but discarded as a tabulated vote.

Or even identified for “replacement.”

The possibilities are endless.

[TheCipher]

That’s so they can throw all the Republican votes in the dumpster.

Or if it is blank, just fill in the hole on the ballot. Then when they open up the envelope, the ballot will have 2 votes for the candidate and will be declared invalid.

[Republican Wildcat]

Yes, exactly, but still be recorded as the ballot having been received so the person thinks their vote was tabulated as they cast it.

[alexander_busek]

That type of voting is ripe rife with fraud.

Regards,