No Candidate? What You Need to Know About AZ Write-In Elections

Arizona is about to hold elections. A lot of qualified citizens have stepped up and thrown their hats in the ring. Some candidates hope to turn the tide in an election by injecting new ideas into the office. Others hope to win re-election to continue the work they've started.

Politics can be a rough business, so anyone who agrees to participate in our democracy has a lot to navigate, so it's no surprise that sometimes no one steps up to take the job.

Since some elected offices, like state and county attorneys, sheriffs, and judges, require special skills and experience, those who are qualified and willing to serve the people may be few and far between.

Sometimes, candidates can't run or don't get enough signatures. // Canva

So, sometimes, an office opens, and for various reasons, no qualified candidate is on the ballot. What happens then?

What Happens If There's No Candidate on the Ballot in Arizona?

In Cochise County, for example, the incumbent County Attorney didn't receive enough signatures to put his name on the ballot. Since he was potentially running unopposed, this presented a problem.

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What happens if a candidate is running unopposed but drops out? // Canva

In Arizona, if no candidate appears on the ballot for a particular office, voters can still participate in the election through write-in candidates.

A write-in candidate is someone whose name does not appear on the ballot but who has filed the necessary paperwork to be considered a legitimate candidate. No, you can't just write in "Mickey Mouse".

Even if Mickey gets enough votes, he's not qualified to hold office. Setting aside the fact that Mickey Mouse is a fictional character, in Arizona, write-in candidates must submit a nomination paper and a financial disclosure statement by a specific deadline to be officially recognized.

What If No Candidate Is Selected in Arizona?

If no candidate is elected, things can get tricky. For example, if no one wins the majority vote in a local election, the office could stay vacant.

Candidates running a write-in campaign may have extra challenges. // Canva

Depending on the circumstances, there may be a special election held or someone could be appointed to the position. This could cause delays with important issues and decisions, and the vacancy could impact the local community.

It happened in 2018. In the small town of Patagonia in Santa Cruz County, no candidates filed to be on the ballot for mayor. Patagonia eventually relied on write-in candidates. A special election was then held to fill the position.

KEEP READING: Arizona Measure Seeks to Curb Election Fraud

What if the Write-In Candidate's Name is Misspelled? Does it Count?

What happens if you write in a candidate's name but spell it wrong? Does your vote still count?

In Arizona, even if the candidate's name is misspelled, the vote can still be counted as long as the voter's intent is clear.

What happens if you misspell the candidate's name? Does it still count? // Canva

Election officials will try to determine the voter’s intent based on the name written and work with other contextual clues to make their best guess.

It's always best to spell the candidate’s name correctly. You can take a small "cheat sheet" into the voting booth to ensure accuracy and make it easy on the folks who tally your vote.

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