Yes. Purposefully discredited. Please source where each State prints their ballots. This is no longer true, not since 2018 Fall Elections, and the creation of the CISA.gov division of Dept. of Homeland Security. Their election security agents may be deputized as federal marshals. With arrest powers. See: DOJ armed agents in re: election fraud. Under that umbrella.
Just as when the commanders of National Guard units were deputized (sworn in by US Marshals) as Marshals in the DC riots. It happened. Saves a lot of time, too.
I don’t have a source for that.
Assuming the ballots are watermarked and specifically printed, that would identify counterfeits.
It would not help identify ballots that were mass mailed, collected, and then filled in.