Vermont permits write-in votes, but does not have a law that requires candidates to file a declaration of write-in candidacy. Therefore, to the extent that any write-ins for President are tallied depends on the good will of the Vermont Secretary of State’s office. In 2008, the Secretary of State tallied the write-ins for Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney. This year the office says it does not have the resources to tally any presidential write-in votes.

But, Kathleen Scheele, Director of Elections, says that if outside volunteers visit her office, they will be permitted to not only examine the election results sent in by each town clerk, but that if these volunteers tally the write-ins, she will accept their work product and place the tally on official letterhead. Having the returns on official letterhead stationery means that the various publications that tally the final, official vote for President will include these votes.

Therefore, if anyone living near Montpelier, Vermont, is willing to do this interesting work, for at least some of the write-in candidates, he or she should contact Scheele. Her e-mail is kscheele@sec.state.vt.us. The Vermont ballot last month did not include Jill Stein, nor Virgil Goode, nor Roseanne Barr, and they are probably the three actual presidential candidates who received the most write-ins. Of course, anyone would be free to tally any or all presidential write-ins, and chances are there were many write-ins for Ron Paul as well, and his total would be interesting.