Google Searches For 'Write-In' Soar To Highest Level Since 2004 Election
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- With the presidential election less than four weeks away, data from Google Trends shows an astronomical spike this last week in online searches for the term 'write-in.'
The search term has jumped 2,800-percent in the last week, the highest level since 2004.
The spike comes as no surprise to poll worker Jasmine.
"It just basically clarifies that they're both jokes, and I think people weren't as nervous in the beginning as they are now," she told KCBS.
But, Richard, who voted early says that voting for a third-party is a throw-away vote.
"I'm kind of shocked, and it's a result of our educational system. The Europeans know more about our election system than we do," he said.
John Arntz with the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials says any write-in candidate for president has to be verified by the Secretary of State's office
"One thing the voters need to know when it comes to write-ins, is that just because a name's written on a ballot doesn't mean it gets counted," Arntz said.
He says the Secretary of State's office will release the names of qualified presidential write-ins on October 28th.
