Existing law regulates the processing of write-in votes, including requiring that a ballot for a qualified write-in candidate be counted if, on specified voting systems, the candidate’s name is written on the ballot in the blank space provided and the voting space next to the write-in space, if provided, is marked according to voting instructions. It further requires that, for other voting systems, a ballot for a write-in candidate, if otherwise qualified, be counted if the name is written in the manner described in the voting instructions.

This bill would require a liberal construction of these write-in vote processing provisions in the event of a manual recount conducted under specified circumstances to ensure that a ballot is counted if the voter’s intent can be determined, regardless of whether the voter has complied with the voting instructions.