Arizona Republican candidate Josh Barnett who lost his bid for a House seat seems to have acquired an email that threatens to re-open the Sharpie controversy, if it’s true. Morning host/program director at KNST in Tucson, Garret Lerner was also spreading the email.

In it, the Maricopa County Elections official, Kelly Dixon, talks about the problems they’ve been having with Sharpie markers.

CAUGHT! Maricopa County Elections Worker Kelly Dixon ordered her staff to use ballpoint pens for early voting from 10/23-11/2. They NEED to use markers on Election Day. Why? The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors need to see this and call for a full audit. RT and share! pic.twitter.com/cYbEluxiXV

— Garret Lewis (@GarretLewis) November 18, 2020

So she tells the workers that starting tomorrow, October 23 through November 2, that they were asking clerks to hand voters ballpoint pens rather than markers. “We NEED to use Markers on Election Day,” Dixon says. “But for now, and through 11/2, hand voters a Ballpoint Pen.”

Now it’s important to note that while this is spreading out there, I haven’t been able to confirm that it’s a real email as of yet. However, it does appear to be her real address and shortly after it hit and the backlash began, Kelly Dixon appears to have deactivated her account on Twitter. I’m also not seeing any denial as of yet about this email.

You may recall there was a big controversy about using the Sharpie markers. The county ended up saying it didn’t matter what was used, pens or Sharpies, the votes would be counted.

So that raises the question then why is there a “NEED to use Markers on Election Day.” And why ballpoint pens the other days? If they both counted, then what’s the need to use different writing instruments?

People apparently tried to ask Dixon about all this on Twitter but then she appears to have deactivated her account and failed to respond.

Some people were concerned that that a different “NEED” on Election Day, when Election Day would have been more likely to be weighted toward Trump. If the pens are both counted, why the need for the marker?

So what say you Maricopa, is this real and what’s the rationale for the different pens on the different days if in fact this is real? We’ll let you know if we hear anything more on the question.