By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Write-in votes are not allowed in primary or municipal elections and because of the time and effort needed to tally them, some election officials think they should also be banned in general elections. A detailed count is not required by law unless the write-in vote could change the outcome of the election. But local election officials, including Kim Melton, who supervised Shelby County's election this year, say long hours are spent counting votes for someone's best friend while other important tasks are sidelined. Melton said in the governor's race in Shelby County, there were 692 write-ins. Of those cast for living people, 289 were for unseated Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, and 100 were for former N-B-A star Charles Barkley. Barkley also received a majority of the two-thousand-122 write-in votes in the governor's race in Jefferson County, according to county election supervisor Tim Baer. Officials believe that some voters use write-ins to play jokes on friends or are not taking their civic duty seriously. University of Alabama football coach Mike Shula received votes in two races, lieutenant governor and state representative for District 74 -- of course that was before his Iron Bowl loss.