News

Actions

Writing in a presidential candidate on the November ballot could invalidate your vote

Writing in a presidential candidate on the November ballot could invalidate your vote
Posted at 8:38 PM, Oct 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-19 09:17:17-04

We are three weeks away from election day and there are some things you should know when it comes to making sure your vote counts.

Although some voters may not be happy with this year's candidates, voting for a write-in candidate can risk invalidating part of your ballot.

Some voters in Oklahoma say they can't bring themselves to vote for any of the presidential candidates this year.

"I don't want to vote for Trump who's gonna get us in a war," Bobby Cole, an Oklahoma voter said.

While Bo Shaw, feels the same way.

"And you got Hillary who likes to delete emails so she'd be the first 'F' president, because she you know, deleted the 'emale,'" Shaw said. 

If you're like these voters, there's something you should know.

They, along with Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, are all you have, and writing in a candidate is not an option according to Oklahoma law.

"I feel people should have more options when it comes to such giant decisions like this," Joshua Williams, an Oklahoma voter said. "To just toss that aside is wrong."

Solomon Coulter, a voter, agrees.

"It seems like this is America and we should have the freedom," Coulter said. "It seems like they're taking that away."

However, anyone who writes in a candidate invalidates their vote for that office.

Oklahoma is one of seven states that does not allow write-in ballots for president.

Some residents say this is just another example of the state's lack of progression.

"You can't sell liquor in a grocery store on Sunday either, so we are on the bottom of the barrel for a lot of things," Kendra Walters, a Tulsa resident said. "So we need to catch up with the rest of the progressive states."

Some say they may not even vote. However, if you choose to do so, remember this...

"My dad always says, 'if you don't vote you can't gripe," Cole said.

There is one exception to the write-in rule.

In extraordinary cases, military and overseas voters can write in the name of a candidate for federal office if there is not enough time for them to vote on a normal absentee ballot.

*EDITOR'S NOTE: 2 Works for You corrected this story to reflect that Gary Johnson is also on the ballot.

Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.

Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.

Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.

Follow us on Twitter

Like us on Facebook