Ronald Weston and Margaret A. DeMasy have said they are running for the seat. Others may run without having to file petitions or otherwise formally announce their candidacies. Voters must know precisely how to write in their favored candidate's name. For example, let's say John Smith is running for the seat. The elections office will count each reference to John Smith, Johnny Smith, Johnnie Smith, J. Smith, Smith and Jonathan Smith separately.
Candidates can apply to have someone watch elections workers count the write-in votes.
After the election, a candidate can request a hearing before a Mercer County Common Pleas Court judge and ask that the variations be accumulated and counted as votes for himself or herself, Bennington said. Bennington said candidates are encouraged to issue stickers to voters, which can be affixed to the ballot. The write-in votes will not be counted until the official count is done. That will probably start Nov. 5, with results not known for a week, Bennington said. There are no minimum number of votes needed and whoever gets the most votes wins, he said.