We’re getting many questions about what happens to your ballot if you early voted for a candidate who later suspended his or her campaign. The answer is: it depends on your state.
In some states, you are stuck. There are no do-overs.
In other states, there is a process to request that your ballot be considered “spoiled” so that you can vote again. The deadlines are important (Minnesota has this process, but it has to be done 7 days before Election Day).
To find out about your state, search for your Secretary of State website and see if there is any information. If you can’t find it, call your Secretary of State or your county clerk. These folks are there to help you. You are not bothering them. Your questions aren’t dumb.
People are also asking us what happens to Pete’s delegates. That ALSO depends on the state.
Most states send those delegates to the convention uncommitted. In other states, those delegates must vote for the candidate in the first round. Often, if the candidate who dropped out endorses another candidate, those delegates will vote for the endorsed candidate.
We’re going to go over how the conventions work in an episode soon
One more quick thing — you are going to see ballots with candidates who have dropped out listed. Sometimes state law requires it. Sometimes the ballots have already been printed. It’s not meant to confuse you. It’s just a consequence of life coming at us fast.
Democracy can be a confusing mess, and it’s still ours. Keep your heads up. We love you. We’re all in it together.
And feel free to send us any questions. We’ll do our best to get you good information.
