lmaher@uokvax.UUCP (10/30/84)
> /***** uokvax:net.misc / brl-tgr!wmartin / 7:14 pm Oct 11, 1984 */ > Hmm... This inspires a thought: Given this (realistic?) situation: > > Postulate a local election in a small community, for an office such as > mayor or councilman or the like. There are a couple "official" declared > candidates for the office, whose names are on the ballot. There is also > a space for a write-in. On election day, most of the voters (over 51%) > write in the name "John Johnson" in the write-in space for this office. > Now here's the key point: there are MULTIPLE "John Johnson"s living in > this town, all qualified for election to this office. None of them has > campaigned or otherwise indicated that they wanted to be elected on a > "write-in" basis. What is the result? > > ... > > Does anybody have any idea what the various state election laws have > to say about this situation? I would assume the result would vary > from state to state. Comments or discussion? No problem in Oklahoma! Write-ins are illegal; if you mark your ballot in any way except for checking the appropriate boxes, the entire thing is invalidated and thrown out. Every election year the Libertarian Party struggles to allow voters to register Libertarian, and every election year after they fail to get 10%, all the Libertarians get little notices in the mail informing them they're now Independents. Carl {allegra,ihnp4}!convex!ctvax!uokvax!lmaher