There has been some press speculation concerning a write-in vote in Alabama Senate special election. Here’s what the Secretary of State’s page says on the subject:
When the candidate you would like to vote for is not listed on the ballot, you may vote for that person by writing his or her name in the blank “write-in” box on the ballot. Each contest on the ballot has a “write-in” box. You must also shade in the circle next to that “write-in” box to ensure your vote is tabulated properly.
In looking at the statute, I do not see anything that would preclude a Luther Strange write-in campaign. However, I have my doubts about time (and motivation) for a write-in campaign (the next several weeks between now and the elections include Thanksgiving, the Auburn-Alabama game, and the SEC championship–and yes, I think those football games matter in terms of getting voters’ attention). Strange is insufficiently popular, IMHO, to win a write-in outright, plus I think that support for Moore will remain strong (I still think he probably wins, but we will have to see what else comes out, I suppose).
As such, at the moment I think a write-in would split the GOP vote enough to allow Jones to win, so I think that GOP operatives are going to prefer risking an embarrassing Moore win than a devastating Jones win.
