How to Cast a Write-In Vote in This Year’s Election

Early voting in New York State begins this Saturday, October 29, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, from 6 AM until 9 PM across the state. With the recent write-in campaign being conducted by the three major parties in Madison County over a judicial race, a lot of people are asking, "just how do I cast a write-in vote" in this election?

In Madison County, the election involves one person on a ballot running for judge who was involved in an alleged overdose situation at his home in July. The candidate, former Madison County Asst. District Attorney Brad Moses, who according to a toxicology report, had Phentanyl in his system. Over the summer, the Republican and Conservative parties decided to rescind their endorsement of Moses and throw their support behind a write-in campaign for Rhonda Youngs. The Democratic Party in Madison County also endorsed across party lines and supported Youngs.

Now, people are asking -- how do I cast a write-in vote correctly, so my vote can truly count? The answer is actually pretty simple.

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Each elected position up for a vote on a ballot go across the top of the ballot, and each candidate goes down, depending on party affiliation. At the very bottom, instead of a line for party affiliation, there's a write-in line. Simply go across to the column with the election you want to write-in a vote for, and write in the person's name inside the box. It's important to write in the name spelled correctly, because if when votes are being counted, it's unclear who you voted for, then the vote won't count.

The Rhonda Youngs campaign created a sample ballot graphic on their website to easily show people how to vote. Review it below for easy instructions on casting a write-in vote.