W.Va. write-in candidates include Santa Claus

This jolly old elf, though, doesn't live at the North Pole but near Lake Tahoe, and was known as Thomas O'Connor until 2005, when his resemblance to Father Christmas helped persuade him to legally change his name.

Claus is one of 14 write-in presidential candidates registered with the West Virginia secretary of state's office, a veritable bumper crop thanks to the state's easy registration rules.

"All they have to do is file a form at least 42 days before the election," said Jason Williams, manager of the elections division in the secretary of state's office. "Santa Claus filed his form and it was notarized, so he's registered along with everyone else."

"Everyone else" in West Virginia includes Keith Russell David, currently an inmate at Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Texas, and Pennsylvania resident Ron Hobbs, whose platform includes requiring all public businesses to have restrooms.

All told, there are 25 write-in candidates for statewide or congressional office in West Virginia this year. Their names won't appear on the official ballot, but votes for them will be tallied, while writing in an unregistered name will mean an uncounted vote.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many write-in candidates in a presidential election," said Kanawha County Circuit Clerk Vera McCormick, whose workers will count every write-in ballot on election night by hand.

That kind of joyous plurality isn't available to voters everywhere. Most states put a number of hurdles before write-in candidates, ranging from requiring dozens of forms to identifying presidential electors for the candidate.