One more thing about "unknown middle"

[DEMOREP1 at aol.com]

Mr. Layton wrote-

Write-in? Do you mean writing the name directly on the ballot?  This would

require special rules.  What happens when there are spelling errors?  Are

they considered as different people, or would there be some kind of 'person

is reasonably identified by writing on the ballot' type rule.  What happens

if there is more than one person with that name?  What if voters write stuff

like 'the guy with the beard'.  If there is only one candidate with a beard,

is this a valid vote?  I think you're talking about major headaches for vote

counters and legislators.

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D- Many U.S. States have their current election laws and recent court cases 
online which can be looked at.  Older cases- see a U.S. law library.

Once upon a time all ballots were handwritten. That is, write the name of 
your choice on a piece of paper and put in the ballot box.  No rankings 
allowed.  In the very old days, each office was on a separate ballot with 
separate ballot boxes for each office.

Printing comes along and thus printed ballots (unofficial by those printed by 
the political parties).

*Official* paper ballots come along (along with ballot access requirements 
--- such as candidate nominating petitions and/or fees for candidates of 
large parties and party petitions for new parties).

Official mechanical voting machines come along.

Official mechanical/ electronic voting machines come along (such as punchcard 
ballots counted via optical devices using the punchholes).

Official electronic voting machines come along (allowing all sorts of 
election methods).

The internet comes along.  

The write-in vote continues in most areas (noting the ancient nature of the 
right to vote).  Some governments now require that each write-in candidate 
register his/her name before the election involved so that any vote for such 
name will be deemed for such candidate.

Thus-- Voting-- a work in progress.