Write-in votes a thing of the past?

This will be my last blog about voting for a while, I promise guys lol.

I got to use a voting machine for the first time here in my new hometown of New Orleans. Everywhere else I've ever voted has had ballots that you fill out by hand with a pencil.

On the push button version, there's no place to add a write in vote. Is this a good thing, or a bad one? How useful was the write in thing, anyhow? Has anyone ever gotten elected this way, or are those spaces filled with votes for cartoon characters and celebrities?

I suppose I could google this instead of blabbing on here, but it's too late now, so there, ha!