Instructions for Write-In Voting

On the Optical Scan Voting System, a line is provided for casting a write-in vote following the name(s) of the candidate(s) or the designation "No Candidate Filed" for each office listed on your ballot.

VALID WRITE-IN VOTES
If the voter wishes to vote for a declared write-in candidate, the voter may print or write the name of the candidate in the space provided on the ballot sheet.  In order for the write-in vote to be valid, the voter must print or write the name of the candidate in the space provided below the slated candidates for the office and properly mark the ballot according to the instructions posted on the Instruction Card in the polling place. (See illustration above)

WRITE-IN VOTES ARE COUNTED ONLY FOR THOSE CANDIDATES WHO FILED A "DECLARATION OF INTENT TO BE A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE"
State law requires that Judges of Election do not count any write-in votes for anyone unless the Judges have been notified by the County Clerk that the "Declaration of Intent to be a Write-in Candidate" has been filed with her office.

This law requires that anyone running as a write-in candidate must file the "Declaration of Intent to be a Write-in Candidate" with the County Clerk's office by the 61st day prior to the Election, that date being Thursday, January 15, 2026.

Anyone wishing to run as a write-in candidate must file the form; this holds true in all cases, both where the designation "No Candidate" appears on the Ballot, and where the full number of candidates to be elected appear on the ballot.

SPELLING
In determining the validity of a write-in vote, the spelling of the candidate's name need not be exactly as long as the intent of the voter can be determined. There should be some relationship between the appearance, or the sound of the name written in and that of the candidate's actual name. In the case of a misspelled name, a majority of the judges must agree as to the intent of the voter and whether or not the write-in vote will be counted.

PRINTING OR WRITING THE CANDIDATE'S NAME
Printing the name of the write-in candidate is just as valid as writing the name in script, however, the use of stickers or a rubber stamp by a voter does not constitute a valid write-in vote.