# What was the first Presidential election in which you voted? **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592 **Category:** In My Humble Opinion **Created:** [November 2, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592 "2004-11-02T19:14:04Z") **Posts on this page:** 20 **Page:** 2
### Author: ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/21 "2004-11-02T19:40:42Z")
1988 ---
### Author: ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/22 "2004-11-02T19:42:04Z")
Bush - Dukakis. I was a year too young for 1984 so I was 21 when I first got the chance. ---
### Author: ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/23 "2004-11-02T19:42:54Z")
Carter v. Reagan, 1980. ---
### Author: ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/24 "2004-11-02T19:42:58Z")
Carter vs. Reagan, I was 19. Voted Reagan–still feel soiled. ---
### Author: ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/25 "2004-11-02T19:47:55Z")
My first national election was November 27, 2000, and I voted for [myself.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=41221) ---
### Author: ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/26 "2004-11-02T19:55:31Z")
1. This was in my junior year of college, and I voted for Clinton (in the primaries, however, I’d voted for Jerry Brown). ---
### Author: ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/27 "2004-11-02T19:57:30Z")
1. I was one of the 432,179 people who voted for Ronald E. Paul. ---
### Author: ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/28 "2004-11-02T19:58:41Z")
1988 was the beginning of my long streak of voting for losing candidates. ---
### Author: ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/29 "2004-11-02T20:00:46Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Jimmy Carter vs. Gerald Ford, 1976. Same here. I voted for Reagen as a write in. ---
### Author: ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/30 "2004-11-02T20:04:03Z")
1980, Reagan vs. Carter. I voted for Carter. ---
### Author: ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/31 "2004-11-02T20:07:39Z")
I cancelled **Mariemarie** ’s vote. ---
### Author: ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/32 "2004-11-02T20:10:04Z")
Clinton vs Dole, 1996 ---
### Author: ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/33 "2004-11-02T20:12:16Z")
1988, Bush 1 vs Dukakis. By absentee ballot in Texas. My overall record is 1-3 (haven’t voted yet today but am confident I’ll improve). ---
### Author: ![Rock-n-Rolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@Rock-n-Rolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock-n-Rolga) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/34 "2004-11-02T20:12:58Z")
Was just old enough to vote in '88 but was too busy chasing English rock stars at the time and just didn’t care about anything beyond my vapid little Hollyweird life. Thank f00k I snapped outta that in plenty of time to vote in '92! ---
### Author: ![Iris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a5b964/32.png) [@Iris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iris) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/35 "2004-11-02T20:16:12Z")
Gore v. Bush, 2000. ---
### Author: ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/36 "2004-11-02T20:17:10Z")
1980, which most posters have characterized as the Reagan v. Carter election. I was a wacko kid of twenty at the time, and I voted for some third-party candidate. I can’t really remember who, though, but it certainly wasn’t Anderson. Might have been Gus Hall (was he still running then?), or someone equally out of the mainstream. I’ve grown up a bit since then. I’m not even voting for Nader this year, let alone the CPUSA. ---
### Author: ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/37 "2004-11-02T20:19:56Z")
1992, Bush Sr. vs. Clinton. I voted for the Libertarian candidate because I didn’t like either of them (or Perot). ---
### Author: ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/38 "2004-11-02T20:22:52Z")
88’ Bush v Dukacas (sp?) ---
### 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: [November 2, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/39 "2004-11-02T20:23:50Z")
1976 - Carter vs Ford. I voted for Ford. ---
### Author: ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341) #### Post date: [November 2, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592/40 "2004-11-02T20:24:46Z")
Carter v. Reagan, 1980. I was 20. Voted for Carter. I didn’t vote for a winning presidential candidate until 1992. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-presidential-election-in-which-you-voted/272592.md?page=3)