Write-in candidate

Writing in a name that is not already on the election ballot is considered a practice of the United States.

Write-in candidacies are sometimes a result of a candidate being legally or procedurally ineligible to run under their own name or party; write-in candidacies may be permitted where term limits bar an incumbent candidate from being officially nominated for, or being listed on the ballot for, re-election.

In some cases, the number of write-in votes cast in an election is greater than the entire margin of victory, suggesting that the write-ins may have been sufficient to tip the balance and change the outcome of the election by creating a spoiler effect.

The term is not generally used in elections in which all ballots are blank and thus all voters must write in the names of their preferred candidates.

The requirements to appear on the general election ballot as an independent candidate or to have write-in votes counted vary by state and by political office sought.

Typically this registration consists only of a declaration of candidacy, but some states also require signatures of a certain number of voters, additional paperwork or fees.

[159] Another court challenge to the prohibition on write-in candidates in the second round was filed in July 2014.

With a few exceptions, the practice of recognizing write-in candidates is typically viewed internationally as a tradition in the United States.