The November election is three weeks away, and recent polls show Americans aren’t too happy with their choices for President.
The good news for Texans is there are other options. Voters can choose to write-in a name from a list of eligible candidates approved by the Texas Secretary of State.
This year there are 13 certified write-in candidates for President in Texas. Michael Winn, the Director of Elections for Travis County, says a list will be printed out and provided at each voting booth.
Keep in mind the process varies by county, but for those using the electronic voting system, all they need to do is scroll down and select the “write in” box , and a keyboard will appear to type out the candidate’s name.
“You want to get as close as possible to the spelling of the individual’s name, but that does not make a difference,” Winn said. “We have some software programs built within the system that allow that voters certified write-in to be counted.”
Winn encourages Texans to stick to the list provided, because anything else won’t count.
“Obviously Mickey Mouse is not a certified write-in, but they can,” Winn said. “They can put in Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, but those are not certified write-ins and they will not be counted.”
The list of 13 eligible candidates are made up of politicians, lawyers, activists and businessmen. Four of the candidates are from Texas.
“As an American I love this county and I want to see it be all that it can be,” Tony Valdivia, a write-in candidate for President said. “If you would have asked me at the beginning of the year if I would run for President, I would have said no.”
Most of the candidates on the list are running as an independent, and say they hope to be the middle ground person that America needs the most.
Scott Cubbler is also running as an independent for President. Cubbler runs his campaign under the slogan, “There is another option”. Cubbler says if he plays his cards right, he has a good shot at the White House this November.
“If I can win a couple of states, and neither of the other two candidates get to 270, the 12th amendment kicks in and the whole election then winds up in Congress,” Cubbler said.
University of Texas School of Law Professor Steve Vladeck says winning the election is a long shot for the 13 write-in candidates.
“I think the reality is that it would be such a long shot, the odds would be so remote,” Vladeck said, “that a write-in candidate could receive enough support in let alone any one state, in enough states, to actually have a meaningful impact on the election.”
However, in an election already full of surprises, Vladeck says anything can happen on November 8th.
