Election Day arrives.
You examine your ballot. You consider your choices.
Then you decide the country would be better off under the leadership of Mickey Mouse.
Out comes the pen.
But here's the catch: writing down a name and casting a legally countable vote aren't necessarily the same thing.
Write-in rules vary by state and by office. Many states require candidates to register before Election Day. Some don't permit write-ins for certain elections at all.
Massachusetts, for example, specifically instructs election workers to count write-ins for fictional characters, including Mickey Mouse, as blank votes.
And this isn't just a theoretical question.
During the 2024 presidential election, voters in five Central Florida counties gave Mickey Mouse 83 write-in votes. None qualified as valid presidential votes under Florida's write-in rules.
So yes, you might be able to write a cartoon character's name in the little box.
But that doesn't make them an eligible candidate.
Which is probably for the best. Imagine the presidential debates with Donald Duck.
