HB356 Summary

• Write-in votes permitted only in non-municipal general elections and must include both a written name and a mark in the designated space to be valid.

• Write-in votes counted during the period from the day after the election through noon on the seventh day, with appointed write-in poll workers compensated at the same rate as election day workers.

• Write-in votes for fictional characters are not counted, and votes must be cast for living human beings only.

• If a voter marks a regular candidate and writes in another name without marking the write-in space, the regular vote is counted and the write-in is disregarded.

• Over-votes caused by write-in votes result in no votes being counted for that office, though the remainder of the ballot is counted; poll officials must check for over-votes if electronic counters do not perform this function.