# When a Congressman is running unopposed **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 1, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777 "2006-11-01T20:12:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777/21 "2006-11-02T04:39:40Z")
[QUOTE=Snooooopy] I find that Darth Vader’s positions on health care and immigration are much more persuasive. Also, he’s doing that gesture with his hand as if he were going to choke me from a distance using the Force. I hate it when he does that. [/QUOTE] Hehe. Ever notice that Karl Rove and Darth Vader are never seen together in the same room at the same time? Coincidence? I think not… _Cues Darth Vader theme music_ (aka “The Imperial March”) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777/22 "2006-11-02T10:01:19Z")
[QUOTE=bienville] I’ve got my “Official Sample Ballot” in front of me. He’s the only Candidate listed. What would be a more effective “protest vote”, leaving it blank or writing in a name? [/QUOTE] Leaving it blank is legal. Writing in a name would, in many constituencies, mean a null vote, which in turn means that the rest of what you voted would count zero (assuming it was all in one of those huge cards). ---
**Author:** ![rocksolid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@rocksolid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocksolid)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777/23 "2006-11-02T14:30:11Z")
[QUOTE=Chance the Gardener] My dad says that when he votes, and he doesn’t like any of the candidates for a particular office, he’ll just not pull the lever for that election. [/QUOTE] Please tell me what this lever thing is that keeps getting mentioned? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777/24 "2006-11-02T15:23:43Z")
[QUOTE=rocksolid] Please tell me what this lever thing is that keeps getting mentioned? [/QUOTE] Old (and still in use) voting machines had mechanical levers that you would pull to register your vote. Most of the ones I used had you set the various little knobs to the candidates you wanted and then when you were finished you pulled a large lever on the side. That tabulated your votes and reset the machine for the next voter. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777/25 "2006-11-02T15:44:17Z")
[QUOTE=rocksolid] Please tell me what this lever thing is that keeps getting mentioned? [/QUOTE] Smithsonian’s information on [gear-and-lever voting machines](http://americanhistory.si.edu/vote/votingmachine.html) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777/26 "2006-11-02T16:28:15Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] Smithsonian’s information on [gear-and-lever voting machines](http://americanhistory.si.edu/vote/votingmachine.html) [/QUOTE] The best image illustrating the gear system is the “gear and lever poster” just above the picture of Ronald Reagan. Click to enlarge. ---
**Author:** ![bcattwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@bcattwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bcattwood)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777/27 "2006-11-02T17:22:13Z")
If you want to register your discontent, the best way would be to write a letter to said CongressCritter and/or the party. Otherwise, they really have no way of knowing that YOU didn’t vote for him, much less why. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777/28 "2006-11-02T17:29:00Z")
[QUOTE=bienville] What are my options here? Am I allowed to vote for every other office and issue, but still leave the section for “United States Representative” blank? Or will that invalidate my ballot? [/QUOTE] I worked with a guy once, who, when he went to vote, got his ballot and then went straight down to the other end of the table to turn it in, \*\*completely \*\* blank. The little old lady at the table kept trying to explain to him that he needed to go fill in the ballot first before turning it in, and he kept trying to explain to her that he knew exactly what he was doing. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777/29 "2006-11-02T17:30:04Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] Old (and still in use) voting machines had mechanical levers that you would pull to register your vote. Most of the ones I used had you set the various little knobs to the candidates you wanted and then when you were finished you pulled a large lever on the side. That tabulated your votes and reset the machine for the next voter. [/QUOTE] My town in Connecticut still uses the mechanical gear and lever voting machines. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-congressman-is-running-unopposed/378777.md?page=1)