Write-in candidate facts for kids

A write-in candidate is someone whose name isn't printed on the voting paper, but people can still vote for them by writing their name on the ballot. It's pretty rare for a write-in candidate to win an election. Sometimes, people even write in names of people who aren't allowed to be in office, or even made-up characters! In some places, if you want to be a write-in candidate, you have to sign up officially before the election day.

What is a Write-in Candidate?

A write-in candidate is a person who wants to be elected to a public office, but their name doesn't appear on the official ballot. Instead, voters have to manually write the candidate's name on the ballot paper. This allows people to vote for someone who might not have gone through the usual process to get their name printed.

Why Do People Write-in Votes?

People might choose to write in a vote for several reasons:

• They might not like any of the candidates whose names are already on the ballot.
• They might want to support someone who decided to run for office very late.
• Sometimes, it's a way to show support for a person or even a funny protest vote. For example, some people might write in the name of a cartoon character!

How Do Write-in Votes Work?

The way write-in votes are counted can be different depending on where you live.

• In some places, you just need to write the name clearly in a special space on the ballot.
• In other places, the write-in candidate must have officially registered before the election. If they haven't registered, their votes might not be counted. This rule helps make sure that only real candidates are considered.

Rules for Write-in Candidates

The rules for write-in candidates vary a lot from one place to another.

• Some areas make it easy, requiring no special steps for the candidate.
• Other areas have strict rules. A person might need to file paperwork, pay a fee, or collect a certain number of signatures to be recognized as an official write-in candidate. If these steps aren't followed, any votes for them might be ignored.

See also

• Voting
• Election
• In Spanish: Candidato por escrito para niños

Images for kids

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  A robot thinking about voting.