# When was the first presidential election you voted in and who did you vote for?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 9, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245 "2007-04-09T01:28:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/1 "2007-04-09T01:28:53Z")
I thought this would be a fun poll to see who you voted for in the past and so all you old fossils will reveal your age.
The first presidential election I voted in was the 2004 election and I voted for Kerry… ☹ Sad because of who did end up winning that race.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/2 "2007-04-09T01:32:58Z")
1. McGovern, even though I knew he’d lose: I couldn’t bring myself to vote for Nixon.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/3 "2007-04-09T01:34:24Z")
'76. Carter.
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### Author:  [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/4 "2007-04-09T01:45:22Z")
[QUOTE=twickster]
'76. Carter.
[/QUOTE]
Ditto
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### Author:  [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/5 "2007-04-09T01:47:46Z")
Dukakis. '88.
(I voted for Carter in my fourth grade mock election)
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### Author:  [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/6 "2007-04-09T01:49:07Z")
Clinton in 1992
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### Author:  [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/7 "2007-04-09T01:57:07Z")
I should have voted in '88 since I’d just turned 18 but screwed up and didn’t get around to getting registered in time.
So it’s Clinton in '92 for me.
Slightly off topic, but I was a gillion months pregnant that election, my overdue son was born two days later actually. So I show up to vote and the line is out of the building and wrapping around it for about a 2-3 hour wait. My immensely swollen ankles were not going to handle that well. So I stood in the back of the line, filling out my little pre-form on top of the ledge provided by the belly bulge, and suddenly, but quietly, grabbed my stomach and began panting. A few deep breaths and I checked my watch, then repeated about five minutes later.
Sure enough, the folks around me noticed and flipped, was I alaright and did I need an ambulance? I protested that I was still quite far apart and _really_ wanted to cast my vote before going to the hospital. I was quickly escorted right to the head of the line, voted and was out of there in five minutes.
My favorite experience at the polls yet.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/8 "2007-04-09T01:58:48Z")
1972 - decline to state. :o
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/9 "2007-04-09T02:16:46Z")
1968, Humphrey. You had to be 21 back then.
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### Author:  [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/10 "2007-04-09T02:17:51Z")
Clinton, 1996. I turned 18 in 1994.
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### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/11 "2007-04-09T02:20:55Z")
2004 and I voted for Kerry.
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### Author:  [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/12 "2007-04-09T02:24:58Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck]
1972. McGovern, even though I knew he’d lose: I couldn’t bring myself to vote for Nixon.
[/QUOTE]
Same here. Did he carry any states at all?
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### Author:  [@Gentle\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gentle_Robot)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/13 "2007-04-09T02:40:41Z")
2004 - Kerry.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/14 "2007-04-09T02:42:45Z")
1992, Clinton. I turned 18 in 1989, so missed voting for Dukakis.
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### Author:  [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/15 "2007-04-09T02:42:56Z")
[QUOTE=Rysdad]
Same here. Did he carry any states at all?
[/QUOTE]
Just Massachusetts. Whenever “Sweet Home Alabama” came on the radio, I’d always answer, ‘nope, my conscience doesn’t bother me one bit.’
'92, Clinton. My first vote was the '90 Mass. governor’s election. I forget who I voted for in the primary, but I voted for Silber over Weld in the final. If I had to do that over, I’d have supported Weld.
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### Author:  [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/16 "2007-04-09T02:45:30Z")
1. I was disappointed in Carter, and there was no way in hell that I’d vote for Reagan. So I voted for John Anderson.
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### Author:  [@liberty3701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liberty3701)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/17 "2007-04-09T02:47:41Z")
1. Nader.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/18 "2007-04-09T02:50:17Z")
1980, Anderson. If only…
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### Author:  [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/19 "2007-04-09T02:51:19Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867]
2004 and I voted for Kerry.
[/QUOTE]
Ditto that.
My first time voting was the March before that (I had turned 18 in January) and I voted for Howard Dean.
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### Author:  [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-presidential-election-you-voted-in-and-who-did-you-vote-for/399245/20 "2007-04-09T02:52:56Z")
1. Gore.
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