Originally posted at Writeindependent.org on November 7, 2011
writein voting – write in vote
There are at least six states that do not allow write-in votes for President and Congressional seats. Do not let that discourage you from running, because they do allow nonpartisans to enter the race by declaring a nonpartisan or independent candidacy. If you live in or want to represent the following states, you need to find out the processes and deadlines to have your name on the ballot: Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
In Hawaii, congressional candidates must file nomination papers by Tuesday, June 5, 2012 4:30 pm. In order to have your name on the ballot for the general election, you will need to attain one of the two following number of votes during the primary:
1. receive at least ten percent (10%) of the total votes cast for the office for which the person is a candidate at the Primary Election; OR
2. receive a vote equal to the lowest vote received by the partisan candidate who was nominated in the Primary Election for the office.
In Nevada, people who want to run for Congress on the ballot must have a petition signed by enough registered voters. The laws are spelled out on their website, see the Independent Candidate Guide near the bottom of the Nevada Election Information website.
In Oklahoma, December 5,2011 is an important date because Candidates for President must file with the State Election Board. They have three days (Dec 5, 6, and 7th) in which to file. This is just one example of the hoops presidential candidates must jump through to stay on the ballot for a primary election.
Whether you decide to run for President or Congress, make sure you visit each state’s Secretary of State Elections website to learn the requirements for running on the ballot or as a write-in candidate, whichever is necessary.