Politics commentator Joe Mathews here writes that California ought to restore write-in space in general elections for Congress and partisan state office. California already has write-in space in all its other elections.
Politics commentator Joe Mathews here writes that California ought to restore write-in space in general elections for Congress and partisan state office. California already has write-in space in all its other elections.
nooo write-ins = 14-2 amdt violation
how many write-ins in 1860-1868 ???
Richard, is the provision prohibiting write-ins in enabling legislation or in the constitutional amendment itself? In other words, is what Mathews wants even possible?
The California Constitution doesn’t mention write-ins, nor does it mention “ballot”. It just says the general election is for the two candidates who placed highest. But it doesn’t say “only” the top two.
again-
CA CONST ART II
SEC. 2.5. A voter who casts a vote in an election in accordance with the laws of this State shall have that vote counted.
(Sec. 2.5 added March 5, 2002, by Prop. 43. Res.Ch. 114, 2001.)
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CA — Elections Code section 8600. ][ mere law ]
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(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person may not be a write-in candidate at the general election for a voter-nominated office.
Source: Section 8600, https://leginfo.¬legislature.¬ca.¬gov/faces/codes_displaySection.-xhtml?lawCode=ELEC§ionNum=8600.¬ (updated Feb. 10, 2012; accessed Dec. 1, 2025).
All write-in votes are constitutional whether the state censors them or not. Prohibiting write-in voting is unconstitutional because it is censorship.The ballot is also a free press publication of the voter even when anonymous.
Too bad we can’t deport the AZ 666 SPAMBOT since it lives in the internet “cloud.”