I've never voted for a write-in candidate. Never really given serious thought to it, actually. Though I do know there are people who write in both credible candidates and humorous names as part of a protest against the major-party candidates.

You actually don't have to go back very far at all to find a successful write-in candidate; after losing the GOP primary in 2010, Sen. Lisa Murkowski won re-election through a vigorous write-in campaign in Alaska.

In Orange County, Florida, officials already have released the list of write-in candidates who received votes earlier this month. News 13 in Florida has the details:

  • Alfred E. Neuman of MAD Magazine fame: 5 votes for School Board Chair)
  • Amy Poehler and Tina Fey (surprisingly NOT for the same office; Poehler for Governor and Fey for School Board Chair)
  • Barack Obama (for Florida House District 46, as well as School Board Chair)
  • Judge Belvin Perry (6 votes were split between Governor or School Board Chair)
  • Bill the Cat (Shockingly, no voters pencilled in Opus the Penguin in any race)
  • Bozo the Clown (Insert obvious politician joke here)
  • Darth Vader (7 votes? Under-utilization of the Force, apparently)
  • Kanye West (1 vote for School Board Chair and 1 vote for Commissioner of Agriculture; no write-in votes received for Kanye's wife, Kim Kardashian)
  • Luke Skywalker (only 5 votes? The Force was not strong with this one, either)
  • Megatron and Optimus Prime (11 write-in votes calling for a transformation)
  • Mr. Two Bits (legendary Florida Gators football pre-game cheerleader)
  • Scott Maxwell (4 votes for Governor and School Board Chair, in case his gig at the Orlando Sentinel doesn't pan out)
  • Tom Sawyer (not clear if it was for the Mark Twain character or who Rush sang about on "Moving Pictures")
  • Wile E. Coyote (campaign materials supplied by the Elections Division of Acme Corporation)

Of course, no one came close to winning. But did you know Captain Jack Sparrow actually was on the ballot in Minnesota:

Sparrow is his legal name, according to The Associated Press, which wrote about him when he ran for mayor of Minneapolis in 2013. He’s a self-proclaimed “occupirate,” which means he dresses like a pirate,Mashable says. The publication notes he changed his name as part of his involvement with the Occupy movement.

The Captain actually grabbed 22.77 percent of the vote. He lost. Badly.

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