# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/41 "2017-06-11T19:45:06Z")
1994 mid-term, and I don’t remember. I think only my district’s rep was up for re-election, and since it was Bonior at the time he was pretty much guaranteed to win anyway; he was voted to the House in 1977 and stayed there until 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/42 "2017-06-11T19:54:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > 1. John Anderson. The only time I’ve ever voted for an independent or third party candidate. Same here, me too. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/43 "2017-06-11T19:57:13Z")
Must have been 1999. European Parliament. ---
**Author:** ![basset\_hound](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/basset_hound/32/1432_2.png) [@basset\_hound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/basset_hound)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/44 "2017-06-11T20:02:00Z")
1984 for Ronald Reagan. It’s also the only time I’ve been completely happy with the presidential candidate for whom I voted. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/45 "2017-06-11T20:02:05Z")
It was 1976 and I voted for Carter. ---
**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/46 "2017-06-11T21:15:40Z")
I voted for Humphrey in '68, but I campaigned for Adlai Stevenson in 1956. Yes, I was 8. We were and are a very political family. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/47 "2017-06-11T21:19:24Z")
2008, McCain. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/48 "2017-06-11T21:24:07Z")
1972 I voted for McGovern. Also I remember one local initiative to allow package sales within the city limit which I voted for. It passed. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/49 "2017-06-11T21:39:40Z")
My first presidential election was 1988; I voted for Bush the elder. I’m pretty sure I voted in the 1986 California gubernatorial election, but I don’t recall who I voted for. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/50 "2017-06-12T00:07:13Z")
Don’t blame me, I voted for Anderson! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/51 "2017-06-12T00:30:06Z")
1. Nixon. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Falchion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Falchion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchion)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/52 "2017-06-12T00:55:22Z")
2001, Mike Bloomberg for mayor. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/53 "2017-06-12T01:26:45Z")
1996 when I voted for Clinton. ---
**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 12, 2017, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/54 "2017-06-12T05:37:58Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I voted for James Garfield, but got stuck with that prick-a-lick Chester A. Arthur. Kinda soured me. Ha! Imagine how _I_ felt with that whole Harrison/Tyler debacle. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/55 "2017-06-12T05:54:21Z")
1964; I was living in Helsinki and went to the American embassy to vote. I wanted to vote for Goldwater (I was a hard-core conservative back then) but I wimped out and voted for LBJ. Since then I have flip-flopped on party loyalty numerous times (hey; I have seen ten presidents)and my ex-wife called me politically harmless and politically useless. Suring the second Bush 2.0 administration I re-registered from Republican to Independent, and no longer feel the need to shower after I cast my ballot. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/56 "2017-06-12T07:00:28Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > What was the first election you voted in, and if you care to volunteer, for who? 1980, Noel Hicks in the Division of Riverina ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/57 "2017-06-12T08:06:43Z")
November 7, 1978. Voted for Jim Sensenbrenner for Congress, Lee S. Dreyfus for Governor, and for some local offices. I had just turned 18 a week prior and was still in high school. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/58 "2017-06-12T19:22:18Z")
First Presidential election was 1988; voted for Dukakis. First time voting was the off-year elections in 1986. I don’t remember for whom I voted, but it’s safe to say they lost (I’m from KS). ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/59 "2017-06-12T20:01:28Z")
1988 - Dukakis ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-election-you-voted-in/788662/60 "2017-06-12T20:12:51Z")
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