# What do you do when you don't like either candidate on the ballot? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381 "2002-11-18T21:08:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/1 "2002-11-18T21:08:22Z")
I don’t vote for either. Although I’m a Rebublican I don’t vote for a candidate just because I’m affiliated with his/her party. So what do you do? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/2 "2002-11-18T21:20:27Z")
Hold my nose and vote for the Democrat. I supported first John Anderson and then Barry Commoner in the 1980 presidential election, my first, and then felt _personally responsible_ for 12 miserable years of Reagan/Bush, 12 years between my 20th and 32nd birthdays where I couldn’t look at the front page of a newspaper without cringing. Lesser of the Two Evils. That’s my current voting strategy. Green, Libertarian, Right-to-Life, all those outside-the-Big Two parties, are just throwing a vote away. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/3 "2002-11-18T21:46:39Z")
I feel the same way, especially if (as is typically the case when I don’t have a strong preference) I don’t know very much about the candidates. If I actively dislike them, I’ll cast a blank ballot. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/4 "2002-11-18T22:53:09Z")
Well, here in Texas, a thinking conservative has to be careful. Voting a straight ticket can be dangerous, simply because (much as I hate to admit it), there IS a wacko ultra-right fringe to the party here, and I don’t want to give those people any support. In the rare cases where I know little or nothing about two candidates, I’ll usually give the Republican the benefit of my doubt. But if there’s a race pitting a sane but repulsively liberal Democratic candidate against an insane, ultra-right Republican… I’ll probably hold my nose and vote for the Democrat, then hope a better Republican alternative is available next time. And if BOTH candidates are equally repellent? I leave that spot on my ballot blank. ---
**Author:** ![mandielise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@mandielise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandielise)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/5 "2002-11-18T23:18:42Z")
I vote third party. It seems everyone wants to vote for someone other than the main two, but they’re convinced it’s “throwing your vote away.” If we all just decided to vote for them anyway, we might dig ourselves out of this two-party hole older generations have given us! ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/6 "2002-11-18T23:26:51Z")
In South Florida, you just punch out as many holes as you can… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/7 "2002-11-19T01:18:11Z")
National Party votes, I vote against the most odious candidate, and will choose the poltroon most likely, if necessary to beat him. In local races, I write in someone I admire, or myself. Here lately (Virginia) we have had a string of Constitutional questions (State Constitution that is) in the form: "To amend the Constitution in order to . . . " without any part of the actual amendment language. I always vote against those, and will continue to do so until the amendments are given as written. Unfortunately, in this, as in so many other matters, the rest of the electorate finds my opinions unreasonable. They vote to amend without knowing what they have voted to include in our Constitution. We have the government we deserve. ## Tris “He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.” ~ Albert Einstein ~ ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/8 "2002-11-19T01:42:45Z")
In the last election, I voted Libertarian. If no Libertarian candidate, I voted for the Independent candidate. If no Independent candidate, I sometimes voted for a Democrat or I didn’t vote at all. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/9 "2002-11-19T01:47:53Z")
…if possible, I write in something hopelessly stupid. Otherwise, I’d just leave it blank. However, if I actively disliked one and was indifferent to the other, I’d vote for the latter. That’s what I did–I’m in 14th Illinois, and I _hate_ Hastert, so I voted for the other guy. I don’t even remember his name. He was “not-Hastert”. ---
**Author:** ![RAWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@RAWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWDuke)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/10 "2002-11-19T02:20:50Z")
I follow my Dad’s advise from a long time ago: “All other things being equal, vote out the incumbant.” ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/11 "2002-11-19T04:18:30Z")
About a dozen years ago an old guy was found dead in his home. The elected county coroner - who apparently never got closer than 10 feet to the dead guy - ruled his death as ‘smoke inhalation’. After a couple of anonymous calls to the police they dug up the deceased and finally located the .22 caliber bullet hole in the back of his head. I’ve written in “Benjamin Franklin Pierce” for county coroner ever since, and will continue to do so until Doc Stiles (may he rot in hell) retires. ---
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/12 "2002-11-19T14:37:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JuanitaTech \* > \*\*I don’t vote for either. Although I’m a Rebublican I don’t vote for a candidate just because I’m affiliated with his/her party. > > So what do you do? \*\* If you are a Republican, you should vote for the Republican candidate. In any other country, this is a no-brainer. Even if the candidate personally displeases you, you can be certain that when he gets to Washington or wherever, he or she will vote with the Republican caucus. Then, even if he is personally liberal, for reproductive choice, and gun control, etc., the leadership he will help elect will be certain to include all the right Republican principles. Vote for the reactionary Democrat and you will get liberals in the leadership, as he will vote with his caucus. This principle applies to all candidates running as members of any party. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/13 "2002-11-19T16:58:54Z")
I don’t want a politician in place just to vote along the party lines. Yes, I’m fully aware of that’s how things are but I’m not going to vote that way. Although I am a Rebpublican, I’m also an individual. I’d like to think I’d vote (or not, as the case may be) the same way no matter where I was. ---
**Author:** ![Zoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6de8d8/32.png) [@Zoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoff)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/14 "2002-11-19T17:07:42Z")
We had a rather heated Pit thread about this a while ago. If I truly don’t like either candidate I leave it blank. I always seem to have a strange looking ballot by the time I put it in the machine, then I have to explain to my kids why I left some spaces blank. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-dont-like-either-candidate-on-the-ballot/137381/15 "2002-11-19T17:22:09Z")
I’m another one who’ll leave a blank spot on my ballot rather than vote for one of two candidates I dislike or an incumbent running unopposed. [curmudgeonly independent rant] This is not Russia under the Soviet Union – you cannot make me vote for someone! So there! [/curmudgeonly independent rant] CJ