Elections & terms
write-in vote
A vote for someone not printed on the ballot. Most states count them only for candidates who filed as declared write-ins in advance.
In full
A few states permit no write-ins at all, and most require prior registration so officials know which names to tally. Write-in campaigns rarely win, though Lisa Murkowski's 2010 Senate victory shows it is possible. Unregistered write-ins are usually recorded as scattered and not attributed.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.