1.TEXAS Write-in Candidates How the process works from start to the voting polls. Updated for 2014 Elections

2. How to run as a Write-InInside: How to run as a Write-In Candidate Write-In vs. Independent History of Write-In Candidates How to write in a candidate using an electronic voting machine Key Dates for the 2014 Elections 3. Notifying the Texas Secretary of State In order to become a write-in candidate in the general election, file a Declaration of Write-in Candidacy with the Secretary of State or your county judge, as appropriate, no earlier than July 19, 2014, and no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 18, 2014 (For Election 2014) Your declaration must be accompanied by either option 1) a filing fee, or option 2) a nominating petition signed by a specific number of eligible voters. 4. Filing Fee Vs. Nominating Petition 5. Option 1: Filing Fee 1) If you choose to submit a fee with your declaration, the fees vary by office and are posted on the SOS web site. Very few candidates can afford the fee, or wish to use personal funds to pay that fee. The fees listed below are only a few.US Senator - $5,000 All other statewide offices - $3,750 US Representative - $3,125State Senator - $1,250 State Representative - $750 State Board of Education - $300 6. Option 2: Collecting Signatures The Nomination petition. This option allows you to get out in the community and solicit votes and support. It requires signatures from eligible registered voters. Usually from the district in which you run. Signatures required vary by office. For instance... U. S. Rep a total of 500 signatures. Governor requires 5000 signatures 7. Independent vs. Write-In Major difference? An Independent candidates name appears on the ballot. Write-Ins have to be written in. 8. Independent vs. Write-InIS THERE PARTY AFFILIATION? NOT WITH INDEPENDENTS THERE CAN BE. 9. Independent Candidates (Amended to reflect Federal District Court Order of 3/1/12)Independent StatusPrimary ElectionsTo become an independent candidate, you must file a Declaration of Intent to Run as an Independent Candidate with the county judge (county offices) or the Secretary of State between November 9, 2013 and 6:00 p.m. on December 9, 2013. If you vote in a partys primary elections or participate in a partys conventions, you thereby affiliate with the party.After the primary elections, you must collect signatures from registered voters, who support your application for a place on the general election ballot. See sections Tex. Elec. Code Ann. 142.008, 162.003, 162.007.The signers must be registered voters who have not participated in the general primary election or the runoff primary election of a party that has nominated, at either election, a candidate for the office you seek. See Section 162.015 for more details on primary elections. 10. Write-in Candidates Write-In Candidates If a candidate runs in the primaries, he/she cannot run as a write-in in the district they ran for in the primaries. They can, however, run in a different district. Election judges will have a list of write in candidates and instructions they are required to post.History of Write-Ins Write-In candidates have in the past ran as a partisan candidate; supported by a partisan party, Selected to run by a partisan party, Ran as Independent. 11. Historical Results of Write-Ins A WinnerSupporters are Essential Linda Smith, member of the Rep Party represented Washington's 3rd congressional district from 1995-1999 in the US House of Representatives. Smith began her political career in a special election in 1983 when she defeated a Democratic Party incumbent to win a seat in the Washington House of Representatives. In 1987, she moved up to the state Senate, giving Republicans control of that chamber, and remained there until her supporters began a September 1994 write-in campaign to elect her to Washington's 3rd congressional district. In spite of being dubbed the "Hazel Dell housewife", Smith began a 19-day long grassroots campaign that resulted in her defeating the only Republican candidate listed on the primary ballot. Having secured a ballot line as the Republican nominee through her September write-in campaign, she went on to defeat liberal three-term Democrat Jolene Unsoeld in November. She narrowly won reelection in 1996, defeating Democrat Brian Baird by only 113 votes. 12. Historical Results of Write-Ins Success is Possible Historically, victories by write-in candidates often comes because of a lack of a viable alternative.Write-in won a congressional race since 1982, when Rep. Ron Packard (R-Calif.) won his seat running as an independent write-in, taking 37 percent of the vote.Sekula Gibbs lost to former Rep. Nick Lampson (D) 52 percent to 42 percent (though she won the remaining two months of DeLay's term in a concurrent special election, in which her name appeared on that ballot).Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) won their party's nominations as write-ins in 2006 and 2004, respectively. Neither faced any primary opponent on the ballot,* Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-Ohio) needed to win nomination as a write-in in 2006 after his campaign failed to get 50 valid signatures to make the primary ballot. (The jingle his campaign created to encourage a write-in candidacy ranks among the Fix's favorite political songs ever.) He went on to win an open seat.Sekula Gibbs faced only a Democrat on the ballot. When there were two viable options, as with Gruening and Hickel, the write-in candidate gets squeezed out.Write-in candidates typically run without a party organization behind them to help raise money and turn out voters.Prior to that, Rep. Joe Skeen (R-N.M.) won in 1980, Rep. Dale Alford (D-Ark.) won in 1958 and Rep. Charles Curry Jr. (R-Calif.) won in 1930.Former Rep. Shelley Sekula Gibbs (R-Texas) attempted to join that elite club when she was forced to run as a write-in after Rep. Tom DeLay (RTexas) resigned from Congress too late to replace him on the ballot.Source: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/the-tortured-history-of-write-.html 13. The Texas Election Code and the Write-In Process TEC 146. Has the information you need to know about the Write-In process. TEC 146.031. LIST OF WRITE-IN CANDIDATES. (a) The authority responsible for having the official ballot prepared shall prepare a list containing the name of each write-in candidate certified to the authority. Each name must appear in the form in which it is certified. (b) A write-in candidate's name may not appear more than once on the list. (c) Copies of the list shall be distributed to the counting officers in the election for use in counting write-in votes. (d) Copies of the list shall be distributed to each presiding election judge with the other election supplies. A copy of the list shall be posted in each polling place at each place where an instruction poster is required to be posted. (e) The authority responsible for having the official ballot prepared shall retain a copy of the list and preserve it for the period for preserving the precinct election records. 14. What about write-in candidates Bexar County Elections http://elections.bexar.org/FAQSEL.htmlWrite-in candidates must be declared write-ins and must have filed in accordance with the general rules for applying for a place on the ballot. If there is a write-in line on the ballot contest, then a write-in vote is permitted. However, write-in votes may be counted only for names appearing on a list of declared write-in candidates. If there is a declared write-in candidate, the name of the candidate, by election contest, will be posted in the individual voting booths. 15. Texas Counties: Responsible for the List of Write-In Candidates Every County Elections office receives a list of certified write-in candidates with the rest of the election supplies and is responsible for posting instructions, as applicable, the list of write-in candidates. 16. There are a number of steps to take before launching a campaign. Depending on the office sought, state candidates report to the Texas Ethics Commission, federal candidates report to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Treasurer/Committee appointment Campaign Finance Reports Personal Financial Statement 17. The FEC allows candidates an opportunity to test the waters a.k.a. their candidacy by allowing them to spend/collect up to $5000 towards that endeavor. After meeting that goal, candidates are required to file with the FEC. Visit Federal Election Commission website for complete information. 18. Electronic Voting 19. iVontronic Electronic Voting Bexar County 20. Electronic Voting 21. Electronic Voting 22. Electronic Voting 23. Electronic Votinghttp://www.essvote.com/flash/demo.html 24. eSlate Electronic Voting Travis & Hays Counties 25. Electronic Voting 26. Electronic Voting 27. Electronic Voting 28. Electroning Voting 29. In many Texas counties, voters will cast their ballots using either an optical scan system or, as mandated by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), a DRE system. For step-by-step instructions on using (1) a paper ballot, (2) an optical scan voting system, (3) the ES&S AutoMARK (an electronic machine that assists disabled voters to mark a paper ballot), or (4) one of the DRE systems certified in Texas, click on the appropriate link. For an interactive tutorial on the HAVA sanctioned DRE system employed by your county, use the drop down menu to locate your county and then click Go. Have fun voting! Follow the link below to learn more about voting in your county.HTTP://VOTETEXAS.GOV/VOTING-SYSTEMS/ESS-AUTOMARK 30. Important Dates for Election 2014 March 4, 2014 - Primary Election First day to file for a place on the primary ballot for precinct chair candidates.September 10, 2013First day to file for all other candidates for November 9, 2013 offices that are regularly scheduled to be on the Primary ballot (as well as for offices for unexpired terms that have occurred after August 24, 2012).Filing deadline for candidates; filing deadline for independent candidates to file intent declaration.December 9, 2013Early voting period for the primary election. February 18* thru 28, 2014 *First business day after Presidents' Day Primary election.March 4, 2014Early voting period for the primary runoff election.May 19 thru 23, 2014Primary run-off election.May 27, 2014 31. 2014 Candidate Write-In Project Links & Resources: Texas Secretary of State http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/guide/writein.shtml Ivontronic http://elections.lakecountyfl.gov/ivotronic_voting_demo.asp Federal Election Commission http://www.fec.gov/ans/answers_candidate.shtml Texas Ethics Commission http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/index.html