I think I’m a bit confused, is there a radio button to fill in on the ballot that says "protest " and then when all votes are counted, we can see a report that says x for dude, y for other dude, and z for protest?
Yes, fairly close to that. 3rd party votes and no-votes are both tracked, and people studying the (lack of) interest in the candidates will combine those.
How are protest votes counted?
Like any other vote, by machine or hand depending on where you live.
I think I’m a bit confused, is there a radio button to fill in on the ballot that says "protest " and then when all votes are counted, we can see a report that says x for dude, y for other dude, and z for protest?
Yes, fairly close to that. 3rd party votes and no-votes are both tracked, and people studying the (lack of) interest in the candidates will combine those.