# Election Re-Election question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-re-election-question/40184>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 7, 2000, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-re-election-question/40184 "2000-11-07T22:27:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2000, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-re-election-question/40184/1 "2000-11-07T22:27:46Z")

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On the day of voting, I’ve got a question regarding re-election. Nothing spectacular, just a simple one.

If you haven’t been elected, can you call for your own re-election.

Example. Mark Leno was apointed supervisor. His campaign signs say “re-elect Leno”. Now, are you electing him again to the office he held, or electing him a second time. Did Gerald Ford ask to be elected or re-elected? To me it seems it should say Elect, as he has never been elected before. I guess this is a grammer, exact definition question.

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**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2000, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-re-election-question/40184/2 "2000-11-08T02:03:37Z")

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I personally think it’s a gramm **a** r thing, but that’s just me.

[sub]sorry I missed this thread! ;)[/sub]

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**Author:** ![Gnarly\_Narly\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/858c86/32.png) [@Gnarly\_Narly\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gnarly_Narly_Dude)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2000, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-re-election-question/40184/3 "2000-11-08T02:19:25Z")

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If it were me, I’d go for re-elect.  
Everyone knows the incumbent has an edge.  
And to a certain extent it’s earned, if people are satisfied.

If you’re an incumbent there must be some way to show it.  
And it still has to read quickly as people pass the phone pole with the sign.