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• write-in
  write-in

  noun

  a candidate or vote for a candidate not listed on the printed ballot but written onto it by the voter.
• write in
  write in

  verb

  to insert in (a document, form, etc) in writing

write-in

American  

[rahyt-in] / ˈraɪtˌɪn /

noun

write-ins plural

1. a candidate or vote for a candidate not listed on the printed ballot but written onto it by the voter.

   Write-ins may swing the election.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or for such a candidate or vote or a ballot so marked.

   a write-in campaign.

write in British  

verb

1. to insert in (a document, form, etc) in writing

2. (adverb) to write a letter to a company, institution, etc

3. (adverb)

   1. to vote for (a person not on a ballot) by writing in his name

   2. to cast (a vote) for such a person by writing in his name

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noun

1. the act of voting for a person by writing his name on a ballot

2. a candidate or vote that has been written in

3. ( as modifier )

   a write-in campaign

write in Idioms  

1. Cast a vote by inserting a name not listed on the ballot, as in He asked them to write in his name as a candidate . [c. 1930]

2. Insert in a text or document, as in Please don't write in your corrections on the printed pages, but list them separately . [Late 1300s]

3. Communicate with an organization by mail, as in Listeners are being asked to write in their requests . [1920s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• write-ins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of write-in

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

write-in write in write-ins

She decided to run anyway, as a write-in candidate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

Thanks to a well-orchestrated write-in campaign, Biden still received more than 63 percent of the vote, then he secured 96.2 percent in the party-sanctioned first contest in South Carolina.

From Slate ● May 26, 2026

Polling is taking place in three phases spread over a month, using new electronic voting machines which do not allow write-in candidates or spoiled ballots.

From Barron's ● Dec. 27, 2025

Voters were asked to fill out a write-in ballot due to the unusually high number of candidates.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2025

I could at least have done a write-in vote.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

Promoter Eddie Hearn said there are "many, many more chapters to write" in Joshua's career, beginning with the long-awaited meeting with Fury, which is mooted to take place later this year.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

With an unchanged overweight rating on ResMed’s Australia-listed stock, the Jarden analysts write in a note that using proceeds from the US$490 million divestment to implement an accretive buyback shows good capital management.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Davidson analysts Gil Luria and Lucky Schreiner write in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

"When I write in Jaintia, it's a very personal emotion," she says.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

“It’s ten o’clock. I have to write in my diary.”

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

She and running mate Michael Zagarell received slightly more than 1,000 votes, including write-ins.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 24, 2022

In her recount application, she cited a 14-vote difference between her and Holland after a round that took into account such things as the distribution of second choices on ballots that ranked write-ins first.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 6, 2022

Brown declared victory and thanked his supporters after local media reported Walton had won 41% of the vote while 59% of the votes were write-ins.

From Reuters ● Nov. 3, 2021

The remaining 12% of the votes were write-ins.

From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2020

The other 1,547 votes were write-ins or illegible.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Related Words

• copy
• document
• file
• list
• log
• mark
• post
• register
• report
• videotape