The states of Maine and Colorado (amongst others trying to) have removed Trump from the ballot as Republican Nominee.
Does that ban include write-in ballots?
I’m sure Republicans, Conservatives, and the Far Right will still go for “their” choice for president.
If a candidate is disqualified from running for or holding office, I’d assume write-in votes for said candidate would be the equivalent of write-in votes for Mickey Mouse. IOW, pointless and worthless. I can’t imagine that any state laws that permit them to disqualify a candidate allow an end-around via write-ins.
The OP is incorrect. Those states have acted to remove trump from the ballot of the republican primary to determine who the nominee will be. That is a very different thing.
For the states that permit write-ins at all, Republican party rules will determine whether the write-ins will count.
Remember that primaries are essentially private elections run by each party according to their own rules. The state government supplies the bureaucratic apparatus to create ballots, operate polling places, and count the results. What each party does with that total count is their business, not the states’
For the primary, it doesn’t matter because both states had filing deadlines in the last week of December for write-in candidates.
I am not saying you are wrong (I do not know) but it seems really weird that a write-in candidate needs to file with the state. Kinda defeats the purpose I think.
Most states require write-in candidates to register. Otherwise they’d have no idea which John Smith you were voting for.
I’m not sure there really is a purpose. Write-in votes are just weird, period. Most countries (and some US states) just don’t have them at all. They’re a relic of the time before we had standardized pre-printed ballots.
Answer (in part) for Colorado. As I am registered Libertarian (I’m not, but it means I get to pick which primary ballot I submit AND get less junk contacts) I have in my hand the (D) and (R) ballot for the March Primary.
If I select the Republican one, I have the following choices:
Vivek Ramaswamy
Asa Hutchinson
Nikki Haley
Ron Destantis
Chris Christie
Ryan L Binkley
Donald J. Trump
Write-In ___________
Now, given the challenges and changes, how will the validity of the candidates be evaluated? Unknown. But that’s how the ballot reads RIGHT NOW for the upcoming primary.
Oh, the instructions for write-in say the following:
“If a race does not contain a write-in line, you cannot vote for a write-in candidate.”
I’ll note that the (D) ballot does NOT have such an option at this time.
ETA - pondering which to submit, leaning towards Niki Haley just to pump up her numbers and irk the Orange Despot, but safer and smarter to submit the (D) with Biden to show additional support for those wavering.
I’m thinking here in Texas, the smartest choice might be to vote in the Republican primary and vote for the least insane Republicans in the primary. I mean, it’s largely not going to matter which Democrat I choose in most races, as things are gerrymandered such that few of the districts are very contested. But in the ones gerrymandered Republican, I can choose the less insane ones.
Trump banned from ballot?
No.
However he has been banned from the Ballet.
Because creepy thing with young dancers.
Another one: