No one filed to run in a special Isle of Wight election. What happens now?

Voters in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, will find no printed candidate names for a special school board election this fall. Instead, the ballot has a blank space for a write-in. Board member Brandi Perkins resigned on July 31, and by the time the county issued the writ of election, the deadline to file as a candidate had already passed. Jesse Richman, a political science professor at Old Dominion University, says the situation reflects colliding deadlines, since ballots must be prepared early and Virginia now starts voting early.

Three residents the board had considered for a temporary appointment to the District 1 seat, Jeff Ryder, Greg Brown and Candy Hayes, are now pursuing write-in campaigns. All three are first-time candidates. Ryder is a retired school district finance official and did not respond to an interview request. Hayes runs a nonprofit and says she would focus on listening to students, parents and staff. Brown, a civil engineer with children in district schools, says his priorities include gifted education, faster identification of students who need accommodations, school security and food services. Last year, Jarad Ford won the District 3 seat as a write-in.

Virginia election law and guidance say write-in votes using variations of the same name should be counted together. If there is confusion, the local electoral board decides which names are grouped. Brown says he has had to tell voters that no names appear on the ballot.