The revelations of Republican Donald Trump’s lewd comments about women and a Wikileaks dump of Wall Street speeches by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton may have some Ohioans reconsidering their presidential vote. But, there are rules on who you can and can’t vote for.
When US Sen. Rob Portman said he won’t vote Trump for president, he said he’d write in Trump’s running mate Mike Pence. Secretary of State spokesman Josh Eck has some advice for anyone considering writing in their presidential vote.
“If you write in a name that isn’t actually a filed write-in candidate, then your vote in that race won’t count. But the rest of your ballot will still count.”
There are 18 certified write in candidates – at least six are from Ohio, including teacher Ben Hartnell of Westerville near Columbus, Mt. Vernon business owner Bruce Jaynes, handyman Joe Schriner of Bluffton and security officer and inventor Michael Bickelmeyer of Parma.
The full list of presidential write-in candidates:
James Bell
Michael Bickelmeyer
Darrel Castle
Cherunda Fox
Ben Hartnell
Tom Hoefling
Bruce Jaynes
Chris Keniston
Barry Kirschner
Laurence Kotlikoff
Joseph Maldonado
Michael Maturen
Evan McMullin
Monica Moorehead
Joe Schriner
Mike Smith
Josiah Stroh
Douglas Thomson