Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren became the latest to suspend her campaign, joining already sidelined candidates Michael Bloomberg, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg.
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“If he or she has officials withdrawn from the race, your vote will not be counted,” Jan Kelly, Montgomery County Board of Elections director, told News Center 7’s Jim Otte this week.
The names of the missing Democratic presidential candidates will show up on ballots, despite their political demise.
“I wasn’t expecting Mayor Pete [Buttigieg] to drop. That was a surprise,” Timothy Hollmen of Clayton said.
Some early voters might think there’s a way for them to get another chance or to recall their absentee ballot.
Kelly said no.
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“Can you imagine trying to navigate that field, from an election standpoint. It wouldn’t be fair. It wouldn’t be accurate. It would be a nightmare,” Kelly said.
Hollmen suggested that maybe the voting system should be changed to prevent situations such as candidates dropping out from happening.
Maybe there should be a national primary with voters in all states casting ballots on the same day, Hollmen suggested?
“It might avoid a situation like this, where candidates drop out and then votes don’t count,” he said.
Kelly said that to protect your vote, check the withdrawal notice that should be posted at every polling location. It’s up to the electorate to make sure the candidates they support are still running.
The good news is that your vote for down ballot candidates or issues will still count.