Who Can I Write in for President (2016)?

What are all my options in Utah? 

In Utah this year, we only have 25 eligible presidential candidates for whom we can legally vote:

• There will be 10 presidential candidates on the ballot.
• There are an additional 15 eligible names that can be written in.
• Links to all the 2016 candidates and their positions on issues (including Evan McMullin).

Who can I write in?

Between the #NeverHillary and the #NeverTrump folks, there's a lot of talk about write-in votes this year. Based on past experience, it is likely that most of the people threatening this course of action won't actually do it, and will either line up behind the major party candidate they find less odious, or will choose a third party candidate like conservative independent, Evan McMullin. But for those who really do attempt a write-in, though, what will happen?

The answer to that varies by the state in which the voter resides:

• Seven (7) states do not allow write-ins at all—Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota.
• On the other side of the spectrum are eight (8) states—Alabama, Delaware, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Wyoming—that will allow voters to write-in any name their heart desires, including Vermin Supreme (with his platform of zombie apocalypse awareness, time travel research, and a free pony for every American).
• In the remaining 35 states (including Utah), the only acceptable write-in candidates are those who have officially registered with the state by some stated cutoff date, either by filing paperwork, paying a fee, collecting signatures, or some combination of the above.

Three negative consequences of writing in an eligible candidate

• A 3rd-party vote is an ineffectual jab at the two-party electoral system. While you might feel terrific about your protest, your vote will ultimately have little to no impact on who is elected. At best, you (and the thousands of others) will ruffle some political feathers.
• A vote for a 3rd-party is tantamount to depriving the major-party candidate you were most likely to support of a vote, thus helping their opponent.
• A 3rd-party vote creates a lot of extra work for the ballot-counters. A write-in ballot has to be separated out, hand-tallied, and usually has to have some sort of special form completed. It's a headache for volunteers and slows down the count and reporting, annoying millions of people waiting for the results (Zenger).

That being said, there are good reasons to vote 3rd-party.

Who will I be voting for on Nov. 8th?

You're probably reading this post because you feel somewhere in between discouraged and overwhelmed by our current political situation. I'm so sorry! I know how you feel. I wrote a big 'ol blogpost a few weeks ago where I reflectively work through my own anxiety regarding the upcoming vote. Fortunately I was able to resolve my concerns by clearly defining what my vote means to me. Read it here.

It's not too late to register to vote (online or in person)

None of this info will matter if you're not registered to vote. Utah's deadline to register to vote by mail was Oct. 11 (30 days before the election). Now, voters must either register online at vote.utah.gov or in person at their county clerk's office by Nov. 1 (7 days before election day) in order to vote in person. If you live in Utah County, contact the County Clerk:

Bryan Thompson

bryant@utahcounty.gov

100 E. Center, Room 3100

Provo, UT 84606

Phone: 801-851-8128

Fax: 801-851-8122

For future reference, here's how to run for President of the United States

It's actually super easy. Just fill out the equivalent of this 2012 PDF found on vote.utah.gov, sign it in the presence of any notary, and file with the Utah Lieutenant Governor by mail or in person (Room E-325 East Building, State Capitol Complex) by a given deadline listed on each state's website.

• Note: Write-in candidates must meet the three qualifications stated on the declaration form: 35 years old, born in USA, lived here at least 14 years.
• Additional note: Filing the Declaration of Write-In Candidacy means that write-in votes for the candidate will be counted. The candidate's name will not appear on the ballot. There is no fee. You must file for each state outside of Utah for residents of other to also write you in.