The deadline for interested persons to file as a write-in candidate for any of the offices on the June 3, 2008 ballot is 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 20

To qualify as a write-in candidate, a person must file with the Elections Department the following documents:

• A “Statement of Write-in Candidacy” which shall contain the candidate's name, residence address, a declaration stating that he or she is a write-in candidate, the title of the office for which he or she is running and the date of the election.
• A “Nomination Paper” with the requisite number of sponsor signatures (20 to 40) required for the office sought.

In two cases, offices are printed on the ballot with no qualified candidate: Assembly District 28, Republican Party; and Senate District 15, Democratic Party. All other offices on the ballot feature qualified candidates and provide a space for a write-in.

In order for write-in votes to be counted for a qualified write-in candidate, voters must write in the name of a candidate who is on the certified list which will be available Wednesday, May 21, and they must connect the head and tail of the arrow pointing to the name of their candidate.

It does not work for voters who are registered with one party to write in the name of a candidate from another party. If voters are registered to vote with one party and want to vote outside their party, they must re-register to vote by May 19 with the political party of the candidate of their choice in order for their vote to count for that candidate.