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THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW
When looking over a ballot, the option to write in a candidate represents a unique avenue for civic participation. However, in Texas, ensuring that a write-in vote makes it from a digital touchscreen all the way to the final certified tally involves a precise system governed by state statute, specialized ballot-marking equipment, and bipartisan review.
The path a write-in vote takes behind the scenes in the Lone Star State follows a structured process:
1. DECLARATION REQUIREMENT
In Texas, a write-in vote cannot simply be cast for anyone a voter chooses on impulse and expect to be officially counted.
According to the Texas Election Code Chapter 146, prospective write-in candidates must officially file a declaration of write-in candidacy (along with required filing fees or petition signatures depending on the office) to be placed on the certified list of write-in candidates.
If a voter writes in an individual who has not filed a formal declaration, the vote for that write-in option is not tallied for that person.
There are five offices in Colorado County that are on the Nov. 03, 2026, ballot that have write in candidates:
2. CASTING THE VOTE
In Colorado County, voters interact with electronic equipment like the ES&S Express Vote Voting System.
Rather than writing by hand, the voter uses the device’s touchscreen interface to navigate to a contest, select the writein option, and type the candidate’s name using an on-screen keyboard. Uti lizing the Express-Vote device ensures your selections are clearly recorded, making voter intent much easier to determine and helping the Resolution Board process ballots smoothly without struggling to read handwritten entries The ExpressVote functions as a ballot-marking device, printing the voter’s choices, including the digitally typed write-in name, onto a paper vote card, which the voter then reviews before taking it to the scanner.
The List of Declared Write-In Candidates is posted in every voting booth along with instructions.
3. PRECINCT COUNTERS AND SCANNERS Once the printed ballot is fed into the precinct’s optical scanner/tabulator/ ballot box, the tabulator recognizes that a write-in selection has been made on that particular contest.
Because machines look for specific barcode or ballot- position triggers associated with write-ins, the system securely flags or separates the ballot image/ record for human review, ensuring that votes requiring text verification are properly routed.
4. THE RESOLUTION BOARD AND VOTER INTENT The final determination of whether a write-in vote counts falls to human oversight, specifically the Colorado County bipartisan resolution board.
When electronic systems or scanners flag write-ins, board members examine the recorded text and digital ballot records. The board reviews the entry against the official list of declared write-in candidates. If a declared candidate’s name has minor variations or spelling differences, the board evaluates the data to determine whether the voter’s intent complies with Texas election standards.
For assistance with the ExpressVote device, please don’t hesitate to ask a poll worker, while any questions regarding vote tabulations should be directed to the Election Administrator.
Additionally, a complete list of declared write-in candidates is available on the Colorado County website along with the sample ballot at co.colorado.tx.us/ page/colorado.elections/.
