Puzzled about write-ins

I know that something like this is highly unlikely, but bear with me for a minute...

If a person was well known and had popular support for their views on certain items and, come election time, won a seat in a political office based on a write-in campaign that they themselves did not endorse.... would they then be compelled to take the office?

reply to post by rogerstigers


you could resign

reply to post by rogerstigers


Wow, you must have insomnia like me, and your mind coming up with all sorts of scenarios on life, lol! But really, it's a great question, I think, and about a situation that is, I dare say, unprecedented? I know a someone can easily decline a nomination-- but declining to serve when an election has gone thru? Hmmm... I suppose they could 'step down' before they ever 'step up' to the plate.

Depends on the person. I would never be elected for anything but I would decline. Someone smart enough and fed up with the way things are running, I think would step up to the task.

reply to post by new_here


lol.. not really imsomnia... just idle thinking about random things.

...as screwed up as things are (and have been for many decades) folks could write in my dog's name and, if he got enough write-ins, he could do a better job than 99.9% of those who have already served...

reply to post by rogerstigers


I don't know about the legal aspect of this scenario, but I believe that if you have the power to set something right/do something good, then it is your duty to do it. Tolerating/being an on-looker to injustice/travesty is a sin, too. The scenario you propose here seems unlikely to an extent, but come to think of it, it's not that far out. I'd imagine that majority of the people are frustrated with current pool of career politicians. If people do find someone they can hail as a hero...ya never know. If power is thrust into the hands of that person...I think the correct thing to do would be to use it, and not to decline it.

well, to be frank, this derived from the idea that I believe that anyone who actually strives for power does not deserve it. So maybe it would be a good thing that anyone who does NOT strive for power and yet still gets it must accept it.

reply to post by rogerstigers


Basing the following from what I understand in the Alaska senate race right now; you can only be elected as a write in candidate if you file with the election commission as a write in candidate.

Write in votes are not counted (at least in Alaska) as actual votes unless someone actually files that they will be a write in candidate. This saves the time of counting how many 'Mickey Mouse' votes went towards the election if 'Mickey Mouse' didn't file/run.

reply to post by links234


Heh...that kind of defeats the purpose of write-in candidates, doesn't it?

reply to post by rogerstigers


Not necessarilly, it prevents a scenario which you described, someone not intending to be a candidate or representative from being a representative. In today's age of celebrity I'd rather see what we have now than president Paris Hilton. It also prevents any 'John Smith' winners from coming forward and claiming they were the 'real John Smith' everyone had voted for, when in fact, voters may have had someone else in mind.

Had Lisa Murkowski not registered, the federal election commission can find just any Lisa Murkowski in Alaska and proclaim them senator simply for being the write in candidate.

Originally posted by links234
reply to post by rogerstigers

 

Basing the following from what I understand in the Alaska senate race right now; you can only be elected as a write in candidate if you file with the election commission as a write in candidate.

Well, I guess that settles it, then.
Hey, Wyn Hawks, will your dog file? This Post