# What was the first election you voted in? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 11, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662 "2017-06-11T01:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/21 "2017-06-11T04:50:50Z")
1990 (before it was cool) Bernie Sanders for Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/22 "2017-06-11T05:54:37Z")
1992, for Bill Clinton. The elections in 1990 (Bob Clement for TN-05, Al Gore for Senate, Ned McWherter for Governor) and 1991 (probably Betty Nixon for Nashville mayor) weren’t competitive enough for me to bother to find a ride from my dorm room to my polling station. (I had a car by 1992.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/23 "2017-06-11T05:55:52Z")
1. Carter. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/24 "2017-06-11T06:03:50Z")
2000 general. POTUS: Harry Browne. U.S. Senate: Paul Sarbanes. U.S. Rep: Wayne Gilchrest. Circuit Court judge: Theodore Eschenburg. There were a couple weird state ballot questions about local elections and property in far away counties I don’t think I voted for or against. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/25 "2017-06-11T07:01:25Z")
1997, Major. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/26 "2017-06-11T07:13:20Z")
This is not actually a debate about elections or an election. Moving to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/27 "2017-06-11T07:55:11Z")
Mine was the 2002 midterms, and I don’t remember who I voted for, offhand, except that I voted Democratic. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/28 "2017-06-11T10:43:29Z")
1980, Reagan. My preference for conservatives was set in stone early. I’ve never voted for the left side of any ticket in my life (although I sometimes wander over to the Libertarians). ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/29 "2017-06-11T13:05:59Z")
The first _presidential_ election would have been 1972, voted for Nixon. I’m quite sure there were local elections and a federal election before then, but I don’t remember who got my vote in them. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/30 "2017-06-11T13:08:20Z")
John Kerry 2004. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/31 "2017-06-11T13:36:47Z")
It was in a school budget vote in 1971, about a month after the voting age was lowered. The budget had failed twice before (the second vote was the day after the 26th Amendment was passes, but you had to register a few days before the vote, so even though I was eligible to vote, I hadn’t been eligible to register). My first federal election was an absentee ballot for George McGovern. I wasn’t a big fan, but there was no way in hell I’d have voted for Nixon. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/32 "2017-06-11T14:51:01Z")
'72 - Nixon, because my dad was voting for him. I didn’t really pay much attention to politics till I was in my 30s, and now, alas, I pay too much attention and it makes me crazy! FWIW, I’m not affiliated with any party, tho I do tend to lean toward the left. I don’t think either side has all the answers, but apparently cooperation has become a dirty word… ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/33 "2017-06-11T14:58:23Z")
1976, for Ford, but I voted for Reagan in the primary. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/34 "2017-06-11T15:57:32Z")
I remember registering to vote in 1987 a few weeks before the off-year election when only local offices were up for grabs. I don’t remember if I actually voted that year. I definitely voted in 1988: George H. W. Bush for president, Judd Greg for governor, and (I don’t know why I remember this) against a proposal to change the wording of the state constitution in some minor way. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/35 "2017-06-11T16:10:14Z")
My first election was an off year but I got to vote for my Mom who was running for a local office and ended up losing by one vote (yeah it happens). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/36 "2017-06-11T18:28:02Z")
1. I voted for Gerald Ford. I was a moderate Republican, after all. [sub]In my heart of hearts I still am a moderate Republican. But all the Republicans I meet tell me I’m a liberal socialist Democrat. I didn’t leave the party, the party left me.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/37 "2017-06-11T18:31:41Z")
I think the first election I voted in would have been the 1993 Canadian federal election. I’m not sure who I voted for – maybe Georgette Sheridan (Liberal)? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/38 "2017-06-11T19:06:39Z")
2000; voted Bush. It was the first and last time I voted for a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/39 "2017-06-11T19:09:37Z")
I voted for James Garfield, but got stuck with that prick-a-lick Chester A. Arthur. Kinda soured me. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/40 "2017-06-11T19:40:20Z")
1992, voted for Bill Clinton. 1996, voted third party. Have voted or tried to vote in every presidential election since, and have voted in every midterm election since 2010. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662.md?page=3)