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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Coastal Carolina chapter.

There are three objectives in a Democracy for elections and campaigns, they are as follows…

  • Candidates take a stance on identified issues

  • Candidates then propose their solutions to given issues

  • Voters evaluate candidates and select the best one

 

However, when you write in a name instead of bubbling in a candidate, a few things occur as a result.

Most importantly, when you write in a vote, you are essentially wasting your voice in the election. Additionally in terms of a presidential election even if a write-in candidate were to win, which is extremely unlikely, unless the candidate has pre-registered depending on certain state rules, their write-in votes will not be counted. Some states also make getting a write-in ballot necessarily difficult, making the voter do extra work that wastes their time. 

Additionally, write-in campaigns are often unsuccessful, especially in a large election such as the presidential election. Writing in a name to an election of this size essentially just wastes one’s own time and vote. 

First, it can be a pain for poll workers. When counting up the ballots, they go through a machine, and when there is something written in, it has to be taken out and reviewed. This may sound simple but when someone writes in a legitimate-sounding name, for example, something other than Mickey Mouse which is an American favorite to write in, the poll worker has to look into it. Writing in the name of a dead person or someone who is illegitimate wastes a poll worker’s time. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-election/write-in-votes/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/writing-vote-president-might-not-get-counted

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61036/does-your-vote-get-counted-if-you-write-joke-ca

Brianna Barnes

Coastal Carolina '24

Brianna is an honors college student studying Business Management. She is from the D.C. area and loves the beach, hanging out with friends, listening to music, and watching the Bachelor. She hopes to entertain and educate with her writing!