Google searches for 'write-in' are off the charts

originally posted by: WilburnRoach

originally posted by: blood0fheroes
No need to write in - Gary Johnson is on the ballot in each and every state, I believe.

He is my favorite idiot to vote for

This is one of the best things I've read..he is, unfortunately, a huge idiot.

What's the appeal of Pence?

Second.

Re: the OP's questions about the actual validity of write-in votes, all I could find was this:

The answer to that varies by the state in which the voter resides. Seven states—Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota—do not allow write-ins at all. So would-be writers in who live in those places are out of luck. On the other side of the spectrum are eight states—Alabama, Delaware, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Wyoming—that will allow voters to write-in any name their heart desires. In those locales, Mickey Mouse, Ringo Starr, Darth Vader, Pat Paulsen, and Vermin Supreme (with his platform of zombie apocalypse awareness, time travel research, and a free pony for every American) are all fair game. In the remaining 35 states, the only acceptable write-in candidates are those who have officially registered with the state by some stated cutoff date, either by filing paperwork, paying a fee, collecting signatures, or some combination of the above.

www.electoral-vote.com...

(Note: I wholeheartedly disagree with the logic that site promulgates though of, "if you write in X, you're helping Y," since... no... I wouldn't have voted for either of them anyway. It is not a "lost" vote. But I digress.)

So it sounds like there are actually even legal limits on who we can write in, or whether we even can at all. Which is unfortunate. I had something amusing and personally meaningful planned. Ah well.

Oh, and as to any practical impact in terms of elect-ability:

Now, what about the incredibly remote possibility that a write-in candidate actually wins a state (or, in the case of Nebraska or Maine, a congressional district) and is entitled to presidential electors? Well, given the low likelihood of this possibility, it was never contemplated by the Founding Fathers, and it's never actually happened. Consequently, the Constitution is largely silent on the matter, as is existing case law. Many of the states that require write-in candidates to declare themselves (like, say, Texas) also require them to submit lists of electors. So, there would be no problem in those places, nor in the seven states where write-ins aren't allowed. But there are a couple of dozen states where, for one reason or a another, a write-in candidate is unattached to a slate of electors. It is in those states that we'd be left in a legal gray area if a write-in were to win.

www.electoral-vote.com...

Peace.

a reply to: AceWombat04

So the answer is that we have to have enough people voting for an alternate already on the ballot.

It would be so wonderful if we could if would arrange for this to happen.

It is in those states that we'd be left in a legal gray area if a write-in were to win.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Essentially, the write-in in question would have to be an officially registered candidate - whether on the ballot or not - because the handful of states where literally anyone can be written in wouldn't be sufficient to win... and they would have to win enough votes to gain electors in a large enough number of the states that allow write-ins at all, to affect the outcome of the actual election. So you'd have to have a coordinated write-in campaign across many, many states, and all for an individual who was also officially registered as a candidate in all of those states.

Not out of the realm of conceivable possibility... but incredibly, incredibly unlikely. Not least because the already on-ballot third party candidates would be more likely to receive those votes between them than any hypothetical write-in. But yes, it's technically possible. Apparently.

We definitely need real, viable alternatives and the only way for that to happen is for people to vote for them, of course. (Sadly in my state, none of the third party candidates on the ballot are people I feel I can in good conscience vote for either, and write-ins are not allowed here for unregistered candidates.)

Peace.

a reply to: WilburnRoach

McMullin?

What happens if a candidate gets less than 270 electoral votes.

What happens if no presidential candidate gets 270 Electoral votes?

If no candidate receives a majority of Electoral votes, the House of Representatives elects the President from the 3 Presidential candidates who received the most Electoral votes. Each state delegation has one vote. The Senate would elect the Vice President from the 2 Vice Presidential candidates with the most Electoral votes. Each Senator would cast one vote for Vice President. If the House of Representatives fails to elect a President by Inauguration Day, the Vice-President Elect serves as acting President until the deadlock is resolved in the House.

I'm not so sure a third party person pulling a significant part of the vote would accomplish much. They don't get the correct number of votes they simply can't win, but they could negate the popular vote. The House would go for their own insiders first I'd think.

If you are going to do a write in you should Vote for Deez Nutz

Unless something huge happens to change my mind I'm voting/writing in for Deez Nutz and Limberbutt McCubbins as his VP.

At least they have the paperwork to be a candidate filled out and I'd love to see that combo get enough of a % to show we are all fed the heck up with the joke our elections have become. So make it official heh. Our votes mean diddly anyway!


Lil

a reply to: EchoesInTime

I'm definitely writing in. I was wondering what happens if no candidate gets a preponderance. Also, how o write-ins impact the Electoral College? Nothing would be cooler than for these to asshats to be denied the Presidency.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
a reply to: watchitburn

Yeah, maybe a 3rd party can get the 10 or 15% needed for FEC support. But there's no chance for a win this time, maybe next time.

I agree but we can send a loud message if we can show any semblance of unity.

That's the key. Millions of votes for various, assorted people and cats won't do it. I'm writing in Kasich, if possible.

originally posted by: kosmicjack
a reply to: EchoesInTime

I'm definitely writing in. I was wondering what happens if no candidate gets a preponderance. Also, how o write-ins impact the Electoral College? Nothing would be cooler than for these to asshats to be denied the Presidency.

The 12th Amendment would be activated and the House of Representatives gets to choose the President.

The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. – U.S. Constitution, Amendment XII