Yes, I discovered that I was wrong many posts ago when JRDelirious posted the law. I’d never heard of the practice before in any of the states I’ve lived in, but you learn something new every day. It wasn’t very hard to learn that I was wrong.
Yeesh. What a dick move by the outgoing sheriff.
Yes, if there is an anticipation of a subsequent election but no one is allowed to run, and no one is allowed to win as a writein or even given a chance to do so.
Writeins may be uncommon some places, but as I mentioned upthread, I know of recent elections where they were significant factors. It’s more likely to happen in a small town, where a candidate can make a few hundred phone calls in a few days before the election, and win.
That reference appears to apply only to presidential candidates.
In Missouri you have to file a letter of intent to have any write-in votes you receive be counted:
If the ability to write in a vote when only one party chooses to put up a candidate and no independent candidates choose to run is a mandatory element of democracy, then there aren’t very many democracies in the world. Write-ins are pretty much just an anachronistic American peculiarity*, and not even allowed in every state.
*Of course, so are elections for heads of police forces.
From “How to be a COUNTY Candidate” published by the SD Secretary of State for the 2018 election cycle:
Whether it’s a good idea or a bad idea, it is South Dakota law. Nobody but the winner of the recent Republican primary is legally eligible to be elected to the next term as Sheriff.
There isn’t even a place on the ballot for write-ins.
Wow!
That kind of behavior would seem to epitomize “Reasons why Larry Gramkow should no longer be Sheriff in charge of Bon Homme County.”
I wonder if the people mostly-voted-for-Maggs or mostly-voted-against-Gramkow.
Next, I’d expect Gramkow to seek out the people who posted criticism on his Facebook page and start detaining & arresting them – just because.
Classy guy! :mad:
–G!
Even when allowed, mrire-in votes often are not even counted.
If the total number of write-in ballots cast is less than the number needed to bring the 2nd place candidate above the 1st place one, then the write-ins could not mathematically change the outcome. So they save taxpayers money by not counting them.
Like I said upthread it’s pretty common practice. I guess this one got press because of the blatant timing. I’ve seen it time and again where appointed deputies and investigators lose their job if they back the wrong horse. It gets pretty intense with the officers heavily encouraged to campaign for their candidate.
The county commissioners have offered the deputy a temporary job.
“Gramkow says he has no regrets.”
Compounding his dick move.