Your write-in joke isn't funny, county clerk says

By Dustin Block, March 25, 2003

Monday, March 24, 2003 11:51 PM CST

RACINE COUNTY -- Attention to the Racine resident who lives near Ohio and 16th streets and voted in the last primary election: Big Bird had no chance to win the nomination for state Supreme Court.

The "Sesame Street" character was one of dozens of write-in votes registered by poll workers in Racine County's Feb. 18 primary election. It was also one of the all-to-common joke among voters that only a few people get to see -- and the latter don't think it's funny.

At the end of a long day of working polls, people in charge of counting the ballots have to hand log each write-in vote. While legitimate write-in votes are welcome -- Raegan Dexter of Raymond nearly won a primary with 150 write-in votes -- many of the ballots are a waste of time for employees who know that writing in Kermit the Frog is hardly original.

"No matter if it's Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse, they have to record every vote," said Racine County Clerk Joan Rennert. "It's extra work for them."

State elections law require the poll workers to fill out a sheet at each polling place with the name of the write-in candidate, what position they were written in for, and how many votes they received. They keep the results on file at the County Clerk's office for 90 days. Employees said few people ever bother to look at the sheets.

Write-in votes have become an important consideration for the April 1 General Election. Mayor Jim Smith, who lost his bid for re-election during the primary, is running a write-in campaign against Ron Thomas and Gary Becker.

Knowing about Smith's campaign, Rennert said poll workers will be "extra careful" with write-in votes this election. As a result, she said, election night results will be slowed.

Write-in voters can help poll workers, many who work daylong shifts, by making sure to connect the arrow next to the write-in spot and clearly writing the candidate's name. By connecting the arrow, the machines will place the ballots in a special bin that are easily counted.

If the arrow is not connected, workers will have to separate the ballot out from the general pile and count it.

During the primary election, there were about 250 write-in votes in nine different races. While some of the votes were silly -- like "my papa" or Bugs Bunny -- other votes were for friends, family or community members.

Caledonia resident Roy Radke received one write-in vote in the primary for Caledonia chairman. He said Monday he wasn't sure who thought he could lead the town.

"It was probably just a joke, but maybe not," said Radke, 75, who is concerned about the town developing too quickly. "Healthwise, there's no way I could be town chairman. If I had my health, I could probably do it."

Kay Rouse of Racine ran for the state Assembly as a Republican in 1990, received one write-in vote for mayor. She suspected someone remembered her name from her past campaigns, which also included running as a libertarian for Assembly in 1988.

Rouse added that she's written in a few names on the ballot herself -- and expects to do so this year with a vote for Smith.

"If I'm not real pleased with the candidates, then, oh well, I'll go with someone else," she said.

Other write-in votes for the primary appeared to be thank you's for community service, or perhaps a suggestion who would be good for the job. Julia Burney, of Cops N Kids, received a write-in vote for county executive and four voters wrote in Jean Jacobson for the county's top spot.

Most of the single write-in votes came in the state Supreme Court primary, which was the lowest profile race in the primary. Among those receiving votes included two for Racine County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Barry, Ed Garvey and Ed Thompson. One voter wrote in Jesus Christ for the court, while some one suggested Osama Bin Laden.

John Pomeroy of Racine received a vote for the Supreme Court from his girlfriend. They have a deal: If there's a race they don't care about, they agree to write each other in.

"It's not something we'd do if it was important," he said, adding he was opposed to Smith's write-in bid. "It's definitely not something we'll do this election."

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