Writing in Candidates - Not as Easy as You Might Think
The Write-In Ballot is the fantastical "out" for independent voters everywhere. Don't like the candidates listed for a given position? Go ahead and write in your own name or your best friend's or Kanye West. You might not win, but at least you will have lodged a vote for the best candidate for the office, while striking a blow for independence. In the back of your mind, you may even indulge the fantasy of puzzled pundits reacting to a tide of votes for an unknown name. Can't you picture Wolf Blitzer on election night announcing, "In an unexpected development, it appears that Tony Botello has emerged as the leading vote-getter for Missouri Governor. Stand by for Jay Nixon's stunned concession speech . . ."?
Unfortunately, it's not quite that easy.
Write-in ballots only count in Missouri if the named person has filed with the Secretary of State's office prior to 5:00 p.m. on the second Friday immediately preceding the election day. Votes for write-in candidates who haven't jumped through the hoops don't even get counted.
So, sadly, writing "Martin Sheen" in for president won't get us President Bartlett.
Labels: 2008 elections, election, politics
posted by Dan at 10/24/2008 06:56:00 AM
4 Comments:
Just as well; while penning in Christopher Walken provides one with a certain postmodern sardonicism, not all things are solved by more cow bell.
To my utter disappointment.
Beth is probably more qualified than Palin.
People who opt to write in a name instead of choosing a candidate are probably just expressing that they would vote for "none of the above."
If we are truly governed by consent, we must have the ability to withhold that consent. Ensuring that "None Of The Above" is available as a choice in every race would benefit us in so many ways.
See NOTA.org
I wish I had known that in the 2000 election when I wrote in a candidate. Not that he would have one, but I would have liked it to be on the records.
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