# Why do people write in joke votes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 2, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313 "2016-06-02T15:17:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/1 "2016-06-02T15:17:33Z")
The worst part about the old joke about voting for Mickey Mouse is that every year, people actually do it. What is the point? Are you just dying to elect a new county commisioner, but can’t be bothered to care about the President? ---
**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 2, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/2 "2016-06-02T15:19:07Z")
It’s a way of registering a protest vote, since the ballot doesn’t have a line for “None of the Above are Acceptable.” ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/3 "2016-06-02T15:23:07Z")
However, depending on local election rules, you may be generating extra work for the pollworkers. Leaving the race blank and having it recorded as an ‘undervote’ should work just as well if you want to express your dissatisfaction with the candidates. ---
**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 2, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/4 "2016-06-02T15:57:03Z")
Leaving the line blank isn’t nearly as satisfying. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/5 "2016-06-02T15:58:15Z")
Why do some political parties run jokes for President? ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/6 "2016-06-02T17:48:34Z")
Maybe you care who is elected dogcatcher so you go out an vote, but you hate both of the presidential candidates and figure one is as bad as the other. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/7 "2016-06-02T18:49:43Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > However, depending on local election rules, you may be generating extra work for the pollworkers. Leaving the race blank and having it recorded as an ‘undervote’ should work just as well if you want to express your dissatisfaction with the candidates. What extra work would that be? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/8 "2016-06-02T19:00:23Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > What extra work would that be? Assuming paper ballots that are optically scanned, the ballots with write-ins are usually (maybe always) diverted to a separate bin, where they have to be manually checked to record the write-in vote. In some cases, the vote is not recorded unless the name is on a list of ‘approved’ write-ins that have gone through some process, such as obtained a sufficient number of signatures beforehand. Many times, the voter intent is ambiguous because the name is misspelled, the voter has written in the name of a candidate that is already one of the options, the voter has selected a candidate as one of the options and written in the candidate, and so on and so on. These may have to go to some director, or some committee made up of various partisan members to determine voter intent. Anyway, it is fun stuff along these lines which has some precincts not reporting results for hours even though everything was scanned in and tabulated ‘electronically’. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/9 "2016-06-02T19:02:45Z")
Thanks. I would think that would be in line with the expected amount of work, not necessarily extra - but I do take your point that it creates work that would otherwise not exist if people didn’t write in candidates. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/10 "2016-06-02T20:31:08Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Are you just dying to elect a new county commisioner, but can’t be bothered to care about the President? Well, one’s vote matters for the local offices. Your vote really doesn’t matter for president. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/11 "2016-06-02T20:45:16Z")
We have the right to vote for whoever we want. If someone wants Mickey Mouse to be the president then they should vote for him. I’ve often voted for Harold Stassen, just like the Washington Generals he’s due for a win. ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/12 "2016-06-02T20:51:07Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > The worst part about the old joke about voting for Mickey Mouse is that every year, people actually do it. What is the point? Are you just dying to elect a new county commisioner, but can’t be bothered to care about the President? The county commissioner is more likely to have an effect on your day to day life than the President. And besides, most of us live in states that aren’t even remotely in play in the EC. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/13 "2016-06-02T21:31:07Z")
Writing in “LIZARD PEOPLE” is entirely justified by the Rule of Cool. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/14 "2016-06-02T21:49:52Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > We have the right to vote for whoever we want. If someone wants Mickey Mouse to be the president then they should vote for him. I’ve often voted for Harold Stassen, just like the Washington Generals he’s due for a win. In the unlikely event that a fictional or deceased person wins the election, what happens? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/15 "2016-06-02T21:57:15Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > In the unlikely event that a fictional or deceased person wins the election, what happens? About the same thing as if a real or living person wins. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/16 "2016-06-02T22:37:57Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Writing in “LIZARD PEOPLE” is entirely justified by the Rule of Cool. Make sure it’s “LIZARD _PEOPLE_”, plural; the singular might be misinterpreted as a Trump vote. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/17 "2016-06-02T22:43:18Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > In the unlikely event that a fictional or deceased person wins the election, what happens? this actually happened a couple of years ago in this Midwestern county The old corrupt regime was on its way out and one of the county officials was corrupt enough to get state/fed charges filed but was so sure he could prove his innocence that he ran for re election So some late 80s year old grandma decided to run against him as part of the protest vote she died 3 weeks before the election and it was too late to start over so the ballot stayed the same and she still won the newly installed county commissioner appointed someone for the term both from the reform ticket ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/18 "2016-06-03T00:49:40Z")
Heck, a dead guy won election to the US Senate in Missouri, back in 2000. ---
**Author:** ![arles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@arles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arles)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/19 "2016-06-03T02:08:26Z")
In 2012, not wanting to vote for either Obama or Romney, I was one of 61,971 people who voted for Roseanne Barr (Peace and Freedom Party) in the general election. As noted, our votes don’t matter in the general election and even now my protest vote still brings out a smile. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313/20 "2016-06-03T04:23:20Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > In the unlikely event that a fictional or deceased person wins the election, what happens? Not all states count write-in votes for anybody. Some require write-in candidates to register, and discard any votes for people who aren’t registered. (In mine, you only even get a write-in slot _if_ there’s a registered write-in candidate. Most of the time, there isn’t.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-write-in-joke-votes/756313.md?page=2)