This position is one of long-standing League practice. No write-in candidate for public office has participated in a League debate. The LWV Greenwich Board has unanimously reaffirmed this practice. There are good reasons for this:
- The only requirement for becoming a write-in candidate for public office is the completion of a form within a specific time frame. It does not require the same standard as even petitioning candidates. Simply completing a form and submitting it to the Secretary of State is, in fact, the lowest bar possible for declaring candidacy for public office.
- There is no limit to the number of individuals who may desire write-in status for an elected position. To permit one to participate is to permit every write-in candidate to participate. Potentially, this can lead to a debate format that is both difficult to organize and less informative to the voters.
- The deadline for submitting registration for write in status in the State of Connecticut is two weeks before the election. Our volunteers plan our debates months in advance. We cannot accommodate last minute additions for write-in candidates.
We applaud the interest of any citizen who wishes to run for political office. Those who wish to do so — and wish to debate their views in public under our auspices — should follow the guidelines outlined in state statute and in the Town Charter to gain ballot access first.
Sandy Waters
President LWV Greenwich