With the County’s Primary Election still underway, some candidates are already launching write-in campaigns for the August General Election.

Carter County Administrator of Elections Tracy Harris said so far three candidates have completed the necessary form to become a certified write-in candidate in the August General Election.

State law allows individuals to run a write-in campaign for office without having to meet the qualification deadline or obtaining signatures on a candidate petition that candidates appearing on the ballot have to meet. However, for a write-in vote to be officially counted, Harris said those individuals seeking to run a write-in campaign must complete a Certificate of Write-In Candidacy at her office. Votes for anyone who has not completed the proper paperwork to become a certified write-in candidate will not be counted, Harris said.

The three individuals who have completed write-in certificates for the August General Election are Jonathan Potter, Timothy E. Hopson Sr., and Samuel Myers.

Potter will be running a write-in campaign for the office of Constable in the county’s Sixth District, which includes the Elk Mills, Hampton, Little Milligan, and Valley Forge Precincts.

Hopson will be running a write-in campaign for the office of Constable in the county’s Fifth District, which includes the Happy Valley Precinct.

Myers will be running a write-in campaign for the office of Constable in the county’s First District, which includes the Hunter, Midway, and Unaka Precincts.

The deadline for interested individuals to complete paperwork to become certified write-in candidates in the August General Election is June 13. The deadline to become a write-in candidate during the May Primary Election has already passed.

“The only write-in for the May election is David Campbell for Constable for the Eighth District,” Harris said.

After receiving a question from a voter about write-in candidates in the May election, Harris said she is concerned there may be some confusion for voters as to which election Potter, Hopson, and Myers qualified for as write-in candidates. The voter reported seeing signs for one of the candidates and asked if they were part of the May election.

Harris said votes cast for either Potter, Hopson, or Myers in the May election will not be counted because those individuals are not certified write-in candidates in the May Primary.