Comments on: Florida Court Says Write-in Candidates are Real Candidates

By: Little mike

Little mike — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 06:29:19 +0000

Does Oklahoma have a Blank spot on the ballot? a sudden death clause…
If I write Chuck Baldwin in, can I sue the state?, I could take a picture of my ballot in the voting booth, as proof. When Oklahoma tallies the vote, and denies my ballot, they will be violating my rights.
Borens in the HellFire club, the Elite love Oklahoma.

By: Brian Acaill

Brian Acaill — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:34:22 +0000

Looks like we need a write in candidate for Congress in Oklahoma, where erstwhile Democrat Dan Boren has found it necessary to denounce his party’s presidential candidate.

He can choose to vote for whomever he choses. He can change parties if he wants. But to make this kind of public announcement is not necessary or acceptable.

By: Miguel

Miguel — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:34:08 +0000

While I agree that Write-ins are inmportant, I think the fact that they are required to declare is crazy and it defeats the purpose of a write-in. In Rhode Island, anyone can be written-in a General Election. There is is no declaration required.

Several years ago the RI Speaker of the House was embroiled in a scandal that emerged shortly before the election. A constituent in his district ran a write-in campaign against him and nearly won. Had that constituent been required to meet a declaration deadline, he would not have been able to run.

That being said, Florida should do away with the declaration of write-ins, and then the Constitution can be interpreted to mean “no competition” since all offices will have a potential write-ins with no formal declaration.

By: Jim R

Jim R — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:58:39 +0000

Florida requires write-in candidates to file at the same time as candidates filing by petition or by paying a filing fee. If no write-in candidates filed, and there were only candidates from one party, closing the primary to party members would have the effect of denying other voters the right to participant in the election of that office.

I imagine that even the system used in Florida could be challenged in the case of US respresentative and US senator, on the basis that the representative or senator is not chosen on the designated November election day. Louisiana’s election dates were challenged successfully simply because the representatives or senators were usually chosen before November, because most of the time there was no runoff.

By: D. Frank Robinson

D. Frank Robinson — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 05:07:39 +0000

Entrenched parties will habitually oppose write-in candidates unless they can be manipulated – votes are counted, etc. This is because a write-in candidate reminds voters that they too have the right to candidacy outside of any party apparatus. Ballot access restrictions are central to the scheme of denying voters free access to alternative candidates by other parties or by write-in. Oklahoma very clearly illustrates this scheme. The current ballot access initiative in Oklahoma strikes at the root of such partisan entrenchment – although it does not address the prohibition of write-in candidates in Oklahoma.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:44:45 +0000

Mississippi allows write-in votes if some candidate running (who appears on the ballot) dies before the election. So Mississippi does print a blank line for people to cast write-in votes, but they aren’t counted except in case of death.

By: Steve Rankin

Steve Rankin — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 02:50:49 +0000

Mississippi does not allow write-in votes, although I am personally in favor of such a provision.

By: Don ald R. Lake

Don ald R. Lake — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 02:01:14 +0000

Even worse, you get horrible write-in candidates like San Diego Council Member Donna Frye, a 2004/ 2005 Democrat pretending to be an Independent [in a 'non partisan' race] for Mayor. Surfer Girl [occational wave runner married to board and shop legend Skip Frye] begged off running in the 2004 primary only to spend tons of money, effort, and emotions in a last minute Fall 2004 General Election WRITE IN.
She got the most votes twice and still managed to lose three times!
She also voted to shut down any one ELSE trying to go ‘write in’ —-but only after she was allowed!

By: WILL

WILL — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:48:43 +0000

LETS ALL PUSH TO HAVE WRITE IN VOTES COUNTED EVEN IN BACKWARD MISSISSIPPI.

By: Steve Rankin

Steve Rankin — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:16:20 +0000

This provision has been in effect since 1998, and there is a history of it being circumvented by the recruitment of sham/phantom write-in candidates, who qualify and then are never heard from again. There have even been instances of a close relative of a party candidate qualifying as a write-in candidate.

Looks like at least one Florida party would file suit against the blanket primary provision, since the federal courts have outlawed state-mandated blanket primaries.

BTW: In Nevada, when all the candidates for an office are from the same party, they are all placed on the general election ballot.