Write-In Candidate
A candidate whose name does not appear on the printed ballot and who must receive votes from voters writing in their name manually.
A write-in candidate is someone who seeks elected office without being listed on the official printed ballot. Voters who wish to support a write-in candidate must manually write or type the person's name in a designated space on the ballot.
In most states, write-in candidates must register with election officials before Election Day in order for their votes to be officially counted, even though their name will not appear on the ballot.
Write-in campaigns are rarely successful in major races due to the difficulty of mobilizing voters to remember and correctly write a specific name, and due to the lack of ballot visibility compared to official candidates.
Some states allow write-ins for any office; others restrict which offices permit write-in candidacies.
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A state-run election in which voters choose their party's nominee for president by selecting among competing candidates.
The total number of individual votes cast by citizens across the country for each presidential candidate.
The candidate formally selected by a political party to run for president in the general election.