WRITE-IN SUCCESS

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WHAT IS A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE?

A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE IS A PERSON WHO RUNS FOR OFFICE WITHOUT
BEING NOMINATED BY A POLITICAL PARTY. IN ORDER TO BE
CONSIDERED A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE, THE INDIVIDUAL MUST REGISTER
TO VOTE AND HAVE THEIR NAME ON THE BALLOT.
SOME STATES ALLOW VOTERS TO WRITE IN ANY ELIGIBLE PERSON AS A
CANDIDATE, WHILE OTHER STATES REQUIRE THE WRITE-IN CANDIDATE
TO HAVE REGISTERED WITH THE STATE’S SECRETARY OF STATE.

SUCCESSFUL WRITE-IN CAMPAIGNS FOR ELECTED OFFICE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. BUT
CANDIDATES OCCASIONALLY FIND A WAY TO WIN, AND ELECTION EXPERTS SAY THERE IS A
FORMULA FOR SUCCESS.
THE KEYS INCLUDE NAME RECOGNITION, FUNDRAISING CAPABILITY, CONCERTED VOTER
EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS, AND STRONG TURN-OUT-THE-VOTE EFFORTS.
LISA MURKOWSKI USED THESE STRATEGIES TO RETAIN HER U.S. SENATE SEAT IN ALASKA IN
2010. MIKE DUGGAN DID LIKEWISE WHEN HE WON THE RACE FOR MAYOR OF DETROIT IN 2013.

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A WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN IS A TYPE OF ELECTION IN WHICH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ON THE
BALLOT CAN NEVERTHELESS MAKE THEMSELVES ELIGIBLE TO WIN BY RECEIVING
ENOUGH VALID WRITE-IN VOTES. WRITE-IN CAMPAIGNS ARE USUALLY LOW-BUDGET,
GRASSROOTS EFFORTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN CASES WHERE THE ORIGINAL CANDIDATE
HAS EITHER DIED, DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE, OR RAN UNOPPOSED.
IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO WIN AN ELECTION AS A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE, WITH A
CORRECT STRATEGY EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
WRITE-INS TEND TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL ON A LOCAL OR STATE LEVEL. THERE HAVE
ONLY BEEN A HANDFUL OF CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS WHERE A WRITE-IN
CANDIDATE WON A GENERAL ELECTION. IT TAKES MONEY AND ORGANIZATION, THE
SAME THINGS A REGULAR CAMPAIGN REQUIRES, ONLY YOU DON’T HAVE PARTY
BACKING. THE TACTIC IS MORE LIKELY TO SUCCEED IN DOWN-BALLOT ELECTIONS,
WHERE A WRITE-IN CAN SECURE A LOCAL PRIMARY WIN BEFORE SUCCEEDING IN A
GENERAL ELECTION.

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EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL WRITE-IN CANDIDATES

IN 2002, INCUMBENT-D.C. MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS WAS FORCED TO RUN AS A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE IN
THE PRIMARIES AFTER PETITION PROBLEMS, AND HE LATER WENT ON TO WIN THE ELECTION. AND IN CAMAS,
WASH., BARRY MCDONALD WON THE MAYORAL RACE AS A WRITE-IN IN 2019.
THIS YEAR, IN PORTLAND, ACTIVISTS ARE CALLING TO WRITE IN TERESSA RAIFORD FOR MAYOR. IN THE MAY
PRIMARY, RAIFORD GOT 8.5% OF THE VOTE, FALLING FAR BEHIND MAYOR TED WHEELER AND CHALLENGER
SARAH IANNARONE. THOUGH WITH THE PROTESTS AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM AND POLICE BRUTALITY,
RAIFORD HAS STAYED RELEVANT IN THE EYES OF SOME VOTERS, AS THE LEADER OF DON’T SHOOT PORTLAND.
ACCORDING TO A RECENT POLL OF LIKELY VOTERS CONDUCTED BY DHM RESEARCH FOR THE PORTLAND
BUSINESS ALLIANCE, IANNARONE IS LEADING WHEELER BY 11 POINTS. 13% OF VOTERS ARE STILL UNDECIDED
AND 16% PLAN TO WRITE IN A CANDIDATE — WHETHER OR NOT THESE VOTERS PLAN TO WRITE IN RAIFORD IS
STILL UNKNOWN.

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THE ROLE OF WRITE-INS IN THE ELECTION PROCESS

WHILE WRITE-IN CANDIDATES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL
SYSTEM, THEIR PRESENCE BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED IN THE EARLY 2000S. IN RECENT
YEARS, THE “WRITE-IN VOTE” HAS BECOME A FAIRLY COMMON STRATEGY USED BY VOTERS,
AS IT CAN BE A WAY TO CIRCUMVENT PERCEIVED PROBLEMS WITH THOSE WHO ARE
RUNNING.
WRITE-INS ARE OFTEN CRITICIZED FOR “WASTING” THE VOTER’S TIME OR NOT
UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS. HOWEVER, THEY CAN BE A VALUABLE ASSET IN SOME
CIRCUMSTANCES – FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN A WIDELY-FAVORED CANDIDATE HAS BEEN
OVERLOOKED BY THE PARTIES. IN THESE CASES, VOTERS CAN VOTE FOR THEIR FAVORITE
CANDIDATE AND GIVE HIM/HER THE WIN.

WINNING AS A OUTSIDER IS NOT

EASY, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE
STRATEGY.
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IN ORDER TO WIN AS A OUTSIDER, YOU NEED TO STAND OUT IN THE CROWD AND
CONVINCE THE VOTERS THAT YOU’RE THEIR BEST CHOICE. A FEW THINGS THAT CAN HELP
WITH THIS:
• BE AUTHENTIC: SHOW YOUR TRUE COLORS AND BE YOURSELF. THIS WILL HELP
PEOPLE CONNECT WITH YOU AND KNOW WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT FROM YOU IN THE
FUTURE.
• BE GENUINE: IF YOU’RE NOT BEING GENUINE, IT WILL SHOW THROUGH YOUR
SPEECH AND BODY LANGUAGE. PEOPLE WILL SEE RIGHT THROUGH IT AND NOT
TAKE WHAT YOU SAY SERIOUSLY.

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• BE PASSIONATE: WHEN IT COMES TO WINNING AS A OUTSIDER, PASSION

IS KEY! YOU NEED TO BE 100% INVESTED IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING IF YOU
WANT PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN YOUR CAUSE OR CAMPAIGN.
• BE HUMBLE: WINNING AS A OUTSIDER IS HARD WORK
• BE A GOOD SPEAKER
• HAVE A STRONG SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
• PROVIDE DETAILED PLANS AND IDEAS ON HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

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WHAT ARE ‘STICKER CAMPAIGNS’?

A “STICKER CAMPAIGN” IS AN UNOFFICIAL CAMPAIGN TACTIC THAT
ORIGINATED IN LOCAL ELECTIONS. THE STICKERS CONTAIN THE CANDIDATE’S
NAME AS REGISTERED TO AFFIX ON THE BALLOT IN THE AREA FOR WRITE-
INS.
THE VOTING STICKER IS ONLY USED TO MAKE MARKING ON THE BALLOT
PAPER EASIER. VOTERS CAN VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE BY WRITING THEIR
NAME ON THE BALLOT. THE RULES FOR HOW OR WHERE STICKERS CAN
POSSIBLY BE USED WILL VARY BY STATE AND DISTRICT.

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THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THAT YOU CAN GET WRITE-IN SUPPORT. YOU CAN
DO DOOR-TO-DOOR CANVASSING ASKING PEOPLE TO WRITE IN YOUR NAME.
YOU CAN PUT UP SIGNS TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD. EVEN MORE
IMPORTANTLY THESE DAYS, YOU CAN RUN A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN AND BUILD
SUPPORT ONLINE WITH A CAMPAIGN WEBSITE AND THROUGH ONLINE
ADVERTISING.

Johnny Appleseed
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SOMETIMES A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE CAN EVEN DEFEAT AN UNOPPOSED

CANDIDATE. THIS IS MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN IF THE INCUMBENT IS UNPOPULAR.
LOCAL ELECTIONS CAN OFTEN BE WON BY WRITE-IN CANDIDATES BECAUSE SO
FEW PEOPLE TURN UP TO VOTE IN THEM. (THOUGH THIS TREND MAY BE
REVERSING.)
BUT GENERALLY, IT TAKES AS MUCH EFFORT, IF NOT MORE, TO GET ENOUGH
VOTERS TO CHOOSE A CANDIDATE WHO IS NOT ON THE BALLOT. IT MAY NOT BE
EASY, BUT NEVER UNDERESTIMATE DETERMINATION AND PLANNING.