Not all the names of candidates running in local, state and federal elections will appear on the ballot.
That’s because some political hopefuls are considered “write-in candidates.”
There are write-in candidates for state and federal elections this year, as well as two local elections: one for Corpus Christi City Council and one for the Driscoll Independent School District Board of Trustees, according to Nueces County Clerk Kara Sands.
So if the names don’t appear on the ballot, how do you vote for a write-in candidate?
Here are the answers below.
If voting by mail:
The paper ballot is accompanied by a list of write-in candidates, Sands said.
If a race has a write-in candidate, there will be a list of candidates and a space at the very bottom where voters can write the name
of the write-in candidate, she said.
If voting in person:
There will be a list of write-in candidates in each voting booth, Sands said.
In a race where there is a write-in candidate, an option will appear below the names of the candidates who are on the ballot, where voters must physically type in the candidate’s name, she said.
It is the same way for curbside voting — a list is brought to the voter along with the machine, Sands said.
She noted that curbside voting is only available to those who cannot physically enter polling locations.
What about spelling?
There are some name variations that may be accepted upon review, Sands said, using as an example if a voter spells “Jakk” instead of “Jack.”
Written names of people who are not on the write-in candidate list will not be counted, she said.
Kirsten Crow covers city government and water news. Have a story idea? Contact her at kirsten.crow@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Early voting starts Oct. 19. How to vote for a write-in candidate
