Thread: Can someone tell me how to write in a candidate?

At the risk of sounding like an idiot, I have to ask this question.

This will be the first time that I have ever stepped outside the box and voted for a third-party candidate, and I have been trying to find out how to go about doing so. I thought I might just wait until I actually go to vote and ask the volunteers there to instruct me, but it occurs to me that they may not know how either. I’ve done some internet searching and made a few inquiries, but to no avail.

This election is far too important for this country not to take a stand, so I will risk sounding like a complete idiot to get the information I need. I also suspect there are others with the same questions. Perhaps ALIPAC can put something on the home page offering instructions for people like me.

Can anyone help? I’m in the state of Pennsylvania.

Thank you!!

Melena,

Go to this site to find your polling place, it will tell you what type of machine you will vote on. There is a demo on how to write in your vote on that particular machine.

http://www.votespa.com/HowtoVote/tabid/ ... fault.aspx

Should you find a different machine when you arrive to vote, ask the Judge of Elections to explain how to do a write-in.

Hope this helps!

I found these instructions for voting for a write in candidate in Texas by searching the net for "how do you vote for a write in candidate in texas" and it came up with these results. It is talking about Cynthia McKinney but it will apply to anyone else.

Instructions for Voting For A Write-In Candidate in Texas:
http://www.tarrant.txgreens.org/node/189

For a Presidential write-in vote when the display-screen in the voting booth comes up for the national candidates, click on the box for "write-in" to bring up that page where, using the screen-display keypad, you can type in the Presidential candidate's name (which should be spelled exactly the same as the displayed write-in listing within the polling booth, e.g., "Cynthia McKinney").

NOTE: You may want to ask the poll-site officials for assistance anyway, for an ulterior reason. It is the duty of sworn non-partisan poll judges and their assistants to help any voter who requests assistance in operating the machines. They should eagerly assist with no tone of resentment to help with a write-in vote. By asking them for help (even if you already know how to do it), two things will take place:

1. You may make note if any polling-place official assisting you showed reluctance or partisan preference or in any way made an issue of your wanting to do a write-in vote.
2. Most urban-area newspapers give a next-day tabulation of all votes cast precinct-by-precinct. and included in the break-down by candidates listed, it should be including at least yours (and anyone else's you may happen to be sure also voted for a "write-in") for Presidential candidates in the summaries.
If the vote is not reported as having been counted (e.g., zero votes and no listing for McKinney/Clemente if that was your write-in choice), then we have a case for vote tampering.

Originally Posted by miguelina

Melena,

Go to this site to find your polling place, it will tell you what type of machine you will vote on. There is a demo on how to write in your vote on that particular machine.

http://www.votespa.com/HowtoVote/tabid/ ... fault.aspx

Should you find a different machine when you arrive to vote, ask the Judge of Elections to explain how to do a write-in.

Hope this helps!

Miguelina, you are awesome! Thanks!