Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Write-in candidates rarely win, and votes are often cast for ineligible people or fictional characters. Most jurisdictions require write-in candidates to be registered as candidates before the election. This usually mandatory in elections with large pools of potential office-holders, as there may be multiple people with the name that is written-in.
Strom Thurmond in 1954 became the only person ever to be elected to the United States Senate as a write-in candidate.
