# How Many Dopers Voted For A Third Party Candidate?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 2, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624 "2004-11-02T22:37:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/21 "2004-11-03T07:00:53Z")

</div>

> [@Kerrigan](#):
>
> I voted for a third-party, not-Libertarian Presidential candidate.

Which one?

I voted Green in all the smaller offices that were running a Green.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/22 "2004-11-03T11:35:09Z")

</div>

Cobb, Green.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/23 "2004-11-03T12:51:31Z")

</div>

I also voted Lib when I could, even wrote one in.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/24 "2004-11-03T13:03:10Z")

</div>

I voted Libertarian for President, Democrat for Senate and Republican for the House. Then I collected my free home-made lasagna dinner for not voting for Bush. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/25 "2004-11-03T14:40:47Z")

</div>

I know Badnarik got 14,125 here in Ohio, but how much did he get nationwide?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/26 "2004-11-03T15:11:28Z")

</div>

Hold on Vanilla, I’m working on it…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/27 "2004-11-03T15:12:51Z")

</div>

🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/28 "2004-11-03T15:38:04Z")

</div>

I voted for Badnarik too. I live in Massachusetts.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/29 "2004-11-03T15:43:08Z")

</div>

Using the results by state from [cnn.com](http://www.cnn.com/) I get a total of 395,337. California had the most with 39,762 and Oklahoma and New Hampshire had the least, with none reported.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/30 "2004-11-03T15:57:23Z")

</div>

My husband was one of 65 people total in our state to vote for Ralph Nader.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/31 "2004-11-03T16:18:26Z")

</div>

I was going to do a write-in for Cobb (Green), but the little door on the write-in slot was stuck, and I couldn’t bring myself to stick my head out of the booth to ask for help, thereby announcing to the whole world that I was doing a write-in and, even worse, that I couldn’t do it! Oh, the shame. :smack:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/32 "2004-11-03T16:51:56Z")

</div>

Thanks for the update on Badnarik, and the link to here form the other thread.

I voted Libertarian, too, though here in Massachusetts, the Presidential race was the only one where I had the opportunity to do so.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/33 "2004-11-03T17:04:56Z")

</div>

Badnarik as well.

But it’s mostly because I live in Baltimore City, and there was never much doubt the entire state would swing Democratic. After reading **Shirley** ’s response, my conscience is clear, too. I don’t believe my vote was thrown away.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alimarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@alimarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alimarx)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/34 "2004-11-03T17:16:12Z")

</div>

```auto

Potus writeIn = new Potus "Nader";

Candidate vote = new OtherCandidate;
if (green.isAvailable())
   vote = green;
else if (libertarian.isAvailable())
   vote = libertarian;
else
   vote = democrat;

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![caligynephobia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@caligynephobia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligynephobia)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/35 "2004-11-03T21:43:07Z")

</div>

> [@Cluricaun](#):
>
> Using the results by state from [cnn.com](http://www.cnn.com/) I get a total of 395,337. California had the most with 39,762 and Oklahoma and New Hampshire had the least, with none reported.

This was my first election in Oklahoma. I was dismayed to learn that A) Badnarik didn’t make it onto the ballot (also in New Hampshire, upon further research) and 2) You can’t write in candidates on an Oklahoma Ballot. Cannot. At least according to the official lady behind the desk.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624/36 "2004-11-03T22:18:06Z")

</div>

> [@caligynephobia](#):
>
> This was my first election in Oklahoma. I was dismayed to learn that A) Badnarik didn’t make it onto the ballot (also in New Hampshire, upon further research) and 2) You can’t write in candidates on an Oklahoma Ballot. Cannot. At least according to the official lady behind the desk.

Might have to do with there needing to be a slate of electors for the Electoral College. In California, for example, someone can can declare he is running as a write-in candidate for President but he has to register with the Secretary of State, and provide a list of the 58-odd people who will schlep to Sacramento to cast E.C. votes come December. Without that registration, and a slate of electors, the write-in vote is ignored. This disappoints a lot of folks who write in Mickey Mouse.

Oh, and to get OT, Bednarik.

DD

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-voted-for-a-third-party-candidate/272624.md?page=1)