1. TEXAS Write-in Candidates How the process works from startto
the voting polls. Updated for 2016 Elections August 18, 2015
2. How to run as a Write-In Inside: How to run as a Write-In
Candidate Write-In vs. Independent History of Write-In Candidates
How to write in a candidate using an electronic voting machine Key
Dates for the 2016 Elections
3. Notifying the Texas Secretary of State In order to become a
write-in candidate in the general election, file a Declaration of
Write-in Candidacy with the Secretary of State or your county
judge, as appropriate, no earlier than July 23, 2016, and no later
than 5:00 p.m. on August 22, 2016. Your declaration must be
accompanied by either option 1) a filing fee, or option 2) a
nominating petition signed by a specific number of eligible
voters.
4. Filing Fee Vs. Nominating Petition
5. Option 1: Filing Fee 1) If you choose to submit a fee with
your declaration, the fees vary by office and are posted on the SOS
web site. Very few candidates can afford the fee, or wish to use
personal funds to pay that fee. The fees listed below are only a
few. US Senator - $5,000 All other statewide offices - $3,750 US
Representative - $3,125 State Senator - $1,250 State Representative
- $750 State Board of Education - $300
6. Option 2: Collecting Signatures The Nomination petition.
This option allows you to get out in the community and solicit
votes and support. It requires signatures from eligible registered
voters. Usually from the district in which you run. Signatures
required vary by office. For instance... U. S. Rep a total of 500
signatures. Governor requires 5000 signatures
7. Independent vs. Write-In Major difference? An Independent
candidates name appears on the ballot. Write-Ins have to be written
in.
8. IS THERE PARTY AFFILIATION? NOT WITH INDEPENDENTS THERE CAN
BE. Independent vs. Write-In
9. Independent Candidates (Amended to reflect Federal District
Court Order of 3/1/12) Independent Status To become an independent
candidate, you must file a Declaration of Intent to Run as an
Independent Candidate with the county judge (county offices) or the
Secretary of State between November 14, 2015 and 6:00 p.m. on
December 14, 2015 After the primary elections, you must collect
signatures from registered voters, who support your application for
a place on the general election ballot. The signers must be
registered voters who have not participated in the general primary
election or the runoff primary election of a party that has
nominated, at either election, a candidate for the office you seek.
File the application, along with petition, by 5:00 p.m. on June 23,
2016, Primary Elections If you vote in a partys primary elections
or participate in a partys conventions, you thereby affiliate with
the party. See sections Tex. Elec. Code Ann. 142.008, 162.003,
162.007. See Section 162.015 for more details on primary
elections.
10. Write-in Candidates Write-In Candidates If a candidate runs
in the primaries, he/she cannot run as a write-in in the district
they ran for in the primaries. They can, however, run in a
different district. Election judges will have a list of write in
candidates and instructions they are required to post. History of
Write-Ins Write-In candidates have in the past ran as a partisan
candidate; supported by a partisan party, Selected to run by a
partisan party, Ran as Independent.
11. Historical Results of Write-Ins A Winner Linda Smith,
member of the Rep Party represented Washington's 3rd congressional
district from 1995-1999 in the US House of Representatives. Smith
began her political career in a special election in 1983 when she
defeated a Democratic Party incumbent to win a seat in the
Washington House of Representatives. In 1987, she moved up to the
state Senate, giving Republicans control of that chamber, and
remained there until her supporters Supporters are Essential began
a September 1994 write-in campaign to elect her to Washington's 3rd
congressional district. In spite of being dubbed the "Hazel Dell
housewife", Smith began a 19-day long grassroots campaign that
resulted in her defeating the only Republican candidate listed on
the primary ballot. Having secured a ballot line as the Republican
nominee through her September write-in campaign, she went on to
defeat liberal three-term Democrat Jolene Unsoeld in November. She
narrowly won reelection in 1996, defeating Democrat Brian Baird by
only 113 votes.
12. Historical Results of Write-Ins Success is Possible
Write-in candidates typically run without a party organization
behind them to help raise money and turn out voters. Historically,
victories by write-in candidates often comes because of a lack of a
viable alternative. Write-in won a congressional race since 1982,
when Rep. Ron Packard (R-Calif.) won his seat running as an
independent write-in, taking 37 percent of the vote. Prior to that,
Rep. Joe Skeen (R-N.M.) won in 1980, Rep. Dale Alford (D-Ark.) won
in 1958 and Rep. Charles Curry Jr. (R-Calif.) won in 1930. Former
Rep. Shelley Sekula Gibbs (R-Texas) attempted to join that elite
club when she was forced to run as a write-in after Rep. Tom DeLay
(R- Texas) resigned from Congress too late to replace him on the
ballot. Sekula Gibbs lost to former Rep. Nick Lampson (D) 52
percent to 42 percent (though she won the remaining two months of
DeLay's term in a concurrent special election, in which her name
appeared on that ballot). Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) won their
party's nominations as write-ins in 2006 and 2004, respectively.
Neither faced any primary opponent on the ballot, * Rep. Charlie
Wilson (D-Ohio) needed to win nomination as a write-in in 2006
after his campaign failed to get 50 valid signatures to make the
primary ballot. (The jingle his campaign created to encourage a
write-in candidacy ranks among the Fix's favorite political songs
ever.) He went on to win an open seat. Sekula Gibbs faced only a
Democrat on the ballot. When there were two viable options, as with
Gruening and Hickel, the write-in candidate gets squeezed out.
Source:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/the-tortured-history-of-write-.html
13. The Texas Election Code and the Write-In Process TEC 146.
Has the information you need to know about the Write-In process.
TEC 146.031. LIST OF WRITE-IN CANDIDATES. (a) The authority
responsible for having the official ballot prepared shall prepare a
list containing the name of each write-in candidate certified to
the authority. Each name must appear in the form in which it is
certified. (b) A write-in candidate's name may not appear more than
once on the list. (c) Copies of the list shall be distributed to
the counting officers in the election for use in counting write-in
votes. (d) Copies of the list shall be distributed to each
presiding election judge with the other election supplies. A copy
of the list shall be posted in each polling place at each place
where an instruction poster is required to be posted. (e) The
authority responsible for having the official ballot prepared shall
retain a copy of the list and preserve it for the period for
preserving the precinct election records.
14. What about write-in candidates Write-in candidates must be
declared write-ins and must have filed in accordance with the
general rules for applying for a place on the ballot. If there is a
write-in line on the ballot contest, then a write-in vote is
permitted. However, write-in votes may be counted only for names
appearing on a list of declared write-in candidates. If there is a
declared write-in candidate, the name of the candidate, by election
contest, will be posted in the individual voting booths. Bexar
County Elections http://elections.bexar.org/FAQSEL.html
15. Texas Counties: Responsible for the List of Write-In
Candidates Every County Elections office receives a list of
certified write-in candidates with the rest of the election
supplies and is responsible for posting instructions, as
applicable, the list of write-in candidates.
16. There are a number of steps to take before launching a
campaign. Depending on the office sought, state candidates report
to the Texas Ethics Commission, federal candidates report to the
Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Treasurer/Committee
appointment Campaign Finance Reports Personal Financial
Statement
17. The FEC allows candidates an opportunity to test the waters
a.k.a. their candidacy by allowing them to spend/collect up to
$5000 towards that endeavor. After meeting that goal, candidates
are required to file with the FEC. Visit Federal Election
Commission website for complete information.
29. HTTP://VOTETEXAS.GOV/VOTING-SYSTEMS/ESS-AUTOMARK In many
Texas counties, voters will cast their ballots using either an
optical scan system or, as mandated by the Help America Vote Act
(HAVA), a DRE system. For step-by-step instructions on using (1) a
paper ballot, (2) an optical scan voting system, (3) the ES&S
AutoMARK (an electronic machine that assists disabled voters to
mark a paper ballot), or (4) one of the DRE systems certified in
Texas, click on the appropriate link. For an interactive tutorial
on the HAVA sanctioned DRE system employed by your county, use the
drop down menu to locate your county and then click Go. Have fun
voting! Follow the link below to learn more about voting in your
county.
30. Important Dates for Election 2016 March 1, 2016 - Primary
ElectionA more detailed calendar will be available soon. First day
to file for a place on the primary ballot for precinct chair
candidates. Tuesday, September 15, 2015 First day to file for all
other candidates for offices that are regularly scheduled to be on
the Primary ballot. Saturday, November 14, 2015 Filing deadline for
candidates; filing deadline for independent candidates to file
intent declaration. Monday, December 14, 2015 at 6:00 PM First Day
of Early Voting Tuesday, February 16, 2016* *First business day
after Presidents' Day Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail
(Received, not Postmarked) Friday, February 19, 2016 (NEW LAW: 11th
day before election day; regular ABBM and FPCA) Last Day of Early
Voting Friday, February 26, 2016 Last day to Receive Ballot by Mail
Tuesday, March 1, 2016 (election day) at 7:00 p.m. (unless overseas
deadline applies)
31. 2016 Candidate Write-In Project Links & Resources:
Texas Secretary of State Ivontronic Federal Election Commission
Texas Ethics Commission Electronic Filing Application Vote Texas
Voter registration information Texas Online Voter Central