How to Write in a Candidate for Presidential Elections.
Presidential Primary Election: Endorsement of Write-In Candidacy. By May 15, 2012 (E-21), for the presidential primary election, any person who believes his or her name may be used as a write-in candidate for President of the United States shall file for endorsement of his or her write-in candidacy with the Secretary of State.If your candidate's campaign has provided you with a sticker to place on paper ballots, affix the sticker carefully on the write-in line. Turn your ballot in as instructed at your polling place. Before you complete your ballot, check to make sure that you have voted for only one candidate for president.The State Board of Elections provides all eligible citizens of the State convenient access to voter registration; provides all registered voters accessible locations in which they may exercise their right to vote, to ensure uniformity of election practices; to promote fair and equitable elections; and to maintain registration records, campaign fund reports, and other election-related data.
Write-in candidate A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. The system is almost totally confined to elections in the United States.Not that people won’t try. In 2012, a man legally changed his name to “Santa Claus” and registered as a write-in candidate in Maryland. In all, 625 people wrote in “Santa Claus” for their presidential vote, the most for any write-in in Maryland that year.
Writing in the name of the candidate for President or Vice President will be counted as a vote for the joint office. Candidates may give out cards containing a diagram and instructions, including how to spell the candidate's name.
