THIS ARTICLE IS COMMENTARY AND PUBLISHED IN OUR EDITORIAL SECTION.
Write-ins simply tax everyone’s time, energy and patience
By Randy Arrington, publisher
It was just before Christmas before we learned of the full vote breakdown in Stanley’s race for mayor — more than six weeks after the election. Because the margin between ballots cast for incumbent Michael Knight and the number of write-in votes for other candidates wasn’t all that close, it was clear that Knight had retained his seat and we could easily project a winner. However, when we published a short story on Knight’s swearing-in last month, we stated that he won by only 84 votes. Knight, now beginning his third term, was quick to share documents he received from the Virginia Department of Elections showing how every write-in vote was cast — and revealing that he had won by a margin of 154 votes.
If write-in candidate, councilman and former mayor Doug Purdham had appeared on the ballot, the totals would have been revealed much quicker that he lost to Knight, 439 to 285 (all votes being the same). Of course, the appearance of Purdham’s name on the ballot could have also influenced some of those numbers, but the absence of his name left it mired among 11 various write-in choices.
The write-in totals were all lumped together and not broken down in initial reports, both online and in discussion with the county registrar. All ballots, including provisional ballots, were certified by the Page County Electoral Board on Nov. 15, 2024 — yet, because the race wasn’t all that close, we felt no need to review the vote-by-vote breakdown. Thus, our election recap reported inaccurate numbers, despite presenting the same result.
Page County registrar Carol Gaunt commented that November’s election featured more write-in candidates than she had ever seen. That slowed down results and taxed election workers more than in past election cycles, she said. While Purdham was a “serious” write-in candidate, every election features a few write-ins like the other dozen ballots cast in Stanley. Vice Mayor Bruce Stoneberger and Nelson Campbell each received two votes for mayor, while eight others each got one vote — Gary Bowman, Rhonda Fisher, Teresa Gentry, Jeffrey Hammer, Douglas Kisling Jr., Terry Pettit, Forest Phelps and Douglas Presgraves.
While some folks like to throw their own name on the ballot as a write-in for vanity reasons, others simply scribble in fictitious names (like “Snoopy”) as a way of saying “I don’t know who to vote for.” We knew of one man who was so frustrated with both political parties that he simply wrote-in Jefferson Davis in each presidential election as a joke and form of protest. The one thing that all of these approaches have in common is that they are ignorant, a mockery of our election process, and a complete waste of time for all involved. Take the time to learn about the candidates on the ballot and make the most of your vote. Don’t waste it on nonsense.
In Shenandoah, a write-in campaign by Councilman Chris Reisinger came just 34 votes shy of unseating longtime Mayor Clinton Lucas. Running under the idea that nothing will change in the Town of Shenandoah until leadership changes, Reisinger went as far as to buy yard signs and actively promote his write-in campaign (unlike Purdham). Along with the incumbent mayor, three incumbent council members in Shenandoah also fended off challenges from two write-in candidates.
When voters see one name on the ballot, they often simply check that box automatically or don’t cast a ballot in that race at all because they see it as already being decided, and their vote really doesn’t matter. Write-in candidates have to work twice as hard (or more) to get their name out there to registered voters. Many voters last fall didn’t even know there were write-in candidates in Shenandoah and Stanley. It could easily be argued that if Purdham or Reisinger had gotten their names on the ballot, the results in those races could have been different. The same potentially holds true for at least one seat on the Shenandoah Council.
Write-in campaigns, about 95 percent of the time, are a complete waste of everyone’s time and effort, including the candidate. When a candidate launches a write-in campaign, it typically says one of two things about that candidate — either they are not truly serious about running, or they did not take enough time to learn the rules for fling (which doesn’t speak well to their qualifications for public office). In many local elections, especially regarding challengers, the person who is most serious about seeking a public office will often file their candidacy first (often in January). Smart candidates realize that if they are the first to file with the registrar, they will usually be the first to appear on the ballot, which sometimes offers a slight advantage.
In the fall of 2025, local registered voters will be choosing a chairman for the Page County Board of Supervisors and the Page County School Board, as well as representatives for each board in Districts 1 and 5. If you think you may be interested in any of those positions, go by the voter registrar’s office NOW at the county government center on South Court Street in Luray and pick up the paperwork. Learn what’s required to file a candidacy, learn the deadlines (usually mid-June), and then make a decision about whether or not to run. Please don’t wait until July or August and then decide to scramble and jump into the race…few people will notice, and no one will see your name on Election Day.
How you handle the campaign process can serve as an example of how you may serve if you win a given seat, and voters recognize that. So, do everyone a favor…decide now if you want to put your hat in the ring. Save everyone some time and effort by not launching a late, write-in campaign that seems haphazard and thrown together as an afterthought.
Write-in candidates rarely come across as strong candidates, most voters never know they are running (even after the election), and it causes delayed results and more work for election officials. It’s a lose-lose-lose situation for candidates, voters and election workers.
If you seek public office, take campaigning seriously and do it the right way.
Just as you would serving in the office itself.
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