# Early voting when a candidate drops out **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 2, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803 "2020-03-02T17:56:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/1 "2020-03-02T17:56:18Z")
So Steyer and Buttigieg have dropped out of the rece for the Democratic nomination for President just before Super Tuesday. But many of the states voting on Tuesday, including California where I am, have early voting. There are almost certainly some voters who have already turned in their ballots marked for one of those candidates who are no longer in the race. So what happens to those votes? Is it as if those people hadn’t voted at all? Or do those votes still count? Is it still technically possible for Buttigieg to win some delegates based on early votes (however unlikely it may be)? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/2 "2020-03-02T18:13:40Z")
The votes still count and they can still win delegates. They’ll also be on the actual ballots on Tuesday and can still get votes then. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/3 "2020-03-02T18:25:35Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > … They’ll also be on the actual ballots on Tuesday and can still get votes then. Confirmed, at least for North Carolina. I voted early last Thursday and the ballot included a bunch of people who had already dropped out at that time. I’m sure this isn’t the correct term, but the ballot at some point gets “locked” (for want of a better term), and after that, if you’re on it, you’re on it, even if you aren’t running any more. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/4 "2020-03-02T20:36:53Z")
I’m a Green who requested a Dem primary ballot. My California ballot lists these presidential candidates: Andrew Yang Roque “Rocky” de la Fuente John K. Delaney Amy Klobuchar Bernie Sanders Joe Sestak Tom Steyer Deval Patrick Michael Bennet Michael R. Bloomberg Mosie Boyd Cory Booker Pete Buttigieg Joseph R. Biden Tulsi Gabbard Mark Stewart Greenstein Julián Castro Michael A. Ellinger Elizabeth Warren Marianne Williamson How many of those names appear in all states’ primaries? Good thing I didn’t mail in a vote for Mosie Boyd. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/5 "2020-03-02T21:00:09Z")
For comparison, the North Carolina Democratic Primary candidates: Deval Patrick Bernie Sanders Tom Steyer Elizabeth Warren Marianne Williamson Andrew Yang Michael Bennet Joseph R. Biden Michael R. Bloomberg Cory Booker Pete Buttigieg Julian Castro John K. Delaney Tulsi Gabbard Amy Klobuchar No Preference ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/6 "2020-03-02T23:00:01Z")
I just happen to have a sample Missouri Democratic ballot on my desk Amy Klobuchar Tom Steyer Tulsi Gabbard Leonard J. Steinman II Cory Booker Joseph R. Biden Elizabeth Warren Pete Buttigieg Bernie Sanders Velma Steinman Henry Hewes Andrew Yang Roque De La Fuente John K. Delaney Julian Castro Deval Patrick Marianne Williamson Michael Bennet Michael R. Bloomberg Steve Burke Robby Wells William C. (Bill) Haas Uncommitted Leonard Steinman and Velma Steinman are married to each other. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/7 "2020-03-02T23:38:58Z")
On the remote chance “No Preference” or “Uncommitted” won, what would happen? Would the 2nd place finisher get the win? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/8 "2020-03-02T23:43:52Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > On the remote chance “No Preference” or “Uncommitted” won, what would happen? Would the 2nd place finisher get the win? I’m just speculating here but I would guess this would mean uncommitted delegates would be sent to the convention and would be free to vote for any candidate. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/9 "2020-03-03T00:30:11Z")
There were six states that allowed some option to rescind and replace early votes as of last cycle. I know I have seen that the law in Minnesota still allows changing your mind this cycle. That is just changing your mind. There is no requirement for a candidate to have announced that they are suspending their campaign. ETA [cite](https://news.yahoo.com/the-states-where-you-can-change-your-mind-after-voting-early-160128070.html) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/10 "2020-03-03T01:27:36Z")
[Slate covered the issue.](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/super-tuesday-early-voting-delegates-buttigieg-klobuchar-steyer.html) ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/11 "2020-03-03T02:26:56Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > I’m a Green who requested a Dem primary ballot. My California ballot lists these presidential candidates: > [snip] > > Roque “Rocky” de la Fuente Just for grins, check out the Republican primary. I don’t fully understand it, but I applaud the comedy. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/12 "2020-03-03T03:57:22Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > Just for grins, check out the Republican primary. I don’t fully understand it, but I applaud the comedy. Roque “Rocky” de la Fuente runs for anything and everything. What party does he belong to? — Well, what party have you got? What are his policies? – Policies? What policies? He’s too busy running for office to have policies. He’s a professional candidate. He devotes his life to running for as many offices as he can, in any party–even parties which don’t want him, which he sues, to force them to allow him on their ticket. I think he hopes that one day people will elect him to something just to make him stop running. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/13 "2020-03-03T08:32:26Z")
I did ‘Vote by Mail’ for the first time this year, because I’m traveling on Monday and Tuesday. So this morning (Monday), I filled out my ballot and colored in the circle for Amy Klobuchar. Then dropped it off in the mailbox on my way to the airport. While waiting for my plane, I heard she dropped out. It really soured me to the idea of early voting by mail, because I essentially threw my vote away. If there were online or some other remote way of voting, I could vote on Super Tuesday, even if I was out of my county. But I’m sure someone would find a way to hack a system like that. As far as where the votes go, they go to the candidate, even if that person is no longer in the race. So Klob will get my vote, even though I would have gone with Biden if only I could have voted tomorrow. And I suppose it is technically possible for a candidate who dropped out to win (though I don’t know for certain) since write-in candidates can win. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/14 "2020-03-03T08:45:17Z")
As far as I know, every candidate who was on the ballot 45 days ago will be on the ballot today. That’s the federally-imposed deadline for sending out overseas ballots in federal elections, including presidential primaries. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/15 "2020-03-03T09:03:50Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > It really soured me to the idea of early voting by mail, because **I essentially threw my vote away.** If there were online or some other remote way of voting, I could vote on Super Tuesday, even if I was out of my county. But I’m sure someone would find a way to hack a system like that. > > As far as where the votes go, they go to the candidate, even if that person is no longer in the race. **So Klob will get my vote, even though I would have gone with Biden if only I could have voted tomorrow.** And I suppose it is technically possible for a candidate who dropped out to win (though I don’t know for certain) since write-in candidates can win. (Bold added.) Maybe you did vote for Biden. Here is what I think I understand, as explained to me by a friend just a few hours ago: When a candidate drops out, he/she can “donate” any delegates already earned to one of the other candidates. So when Mayor Pete and Klobuchar (and Steyer?) dropped out and publicly endorsed Biden, I presume that means they are giving all their delegates to Biden. The same is true if the candidate drops out just before the primary. So those March 1 drop-outs can still get votes, and still get delegates, in the March 3 primary. Any delegates they get will go to whoever they are giving their delegates to. So saith my neighbor, who I suspect is well-informed about such things. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/16 "2020-03-03T10:29:02Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Here is what I think I understand, as explained to me by a friend just a few hours ago: When a candidate drops out, he/she can “donate” any delegates already earned to one of the other candidates. So when Mayor Pete and Klobuchar (and Steyer?) dropped out and publicly endorsed Biden, I presume that means they are giving all their delegates to Biden. AFAIK they can release their delegates and ask that they vote for Biden, but the delegates become unpledged at that point and aren’t bound to do what is asked of them. Some of them may not even be Klobuchar supporters at all, due to the weird ways delegates are chosen in some states. Also, she has to earn delegates, which is looking unlikely everywhere except Minnesota. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/17 "2020-03-03T10:54:36Z")
I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I believe a candidate must get at least 15% of the vote in order to win delegates. And I don’t know how many people vote early, but most rational people voting today or tomorrow will change their vote, rather than vote for someone who has dropped out. So I’d be very surprised if any of the drop outs win 15% of the vote. Incidentally, Mayor Pete had my vote until he jumped ship, then I switched to Klob, then would’ve switched to Biden. I will never again vote early if I can help it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/18 "2020-03-03T12:25:22Z")
Another point is that candidates almost never actually drop out of races any more. Instead, they “suspend their campaign”. The practical effect is still the same, but in the event that the unexpected happens and they get a lot more votes than they thought, or the front-runner collapses somehow, or whatever, they can still theoretically un-suspend. And even in the most extreme case, [Mel Carnahan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Carnahan) might fairly be said to have dropped out of the 2000 Missouri Senate race, but still won. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/19 "2020-03-03T13:30:13Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Roque “Rocky” de la Fuente runs for anything and everything. > > What party does he belong to? — Well, what party have you got? > What are his policies? – Policies? What policies? He’s too busy running for office to have policies. > He’s a professional candidate. He devotes his life to running for as many offices as he can, in any party–even parties which don’t want him, which he sues, to force them to allow him on their ticket. > > I think he hopes that one day people will elect him to something just to make him stop running. He’s on both ballots in Texas today, too. Maybe some kindly electorate will feel sorry for him. Maybe Florida? ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803/20 "2020-03-03T14:36:10Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > It really soured me to the idea of early voting by mail, because I essentially threw my vote away. Wasn’t voting for Klobuchar in the first place essentially throwing your vote away? A candidate doesn’t get delegates unless they reach a 15% threshold in your district or statewide. Any candidate quitting between the start of early voting and election day is already unlikely to reach the delegate threshold in any of their races and all the people voting for them are doing it for mostly symbolic reasons. It doesn’t much change how symbolic it is if the candidate is still in the race or not. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-voting-when-a-candidate-drops-out/848803.md?page=2)