Joke write-in votes are a staple of every election, from student council races up through the presidential election. The 2016 race, though, may prove the peak of the form, thanks to a more widespread dissatisfaction with the mainstream candidates.
Bexar County, in Texas, is a prime example. It’s made up primarily by San Antonio, and as you might imagine, people there had a few local celebrities available if they wanted to go off-ballot. As noted by mySA, an obvious name was on the minds of local voters:
When it came time to pull the metaphorical lever Nov. 8, some in Bexar County just didn’t feel like casting their vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, according to records obtained by mySA.com.
Instead, they wrote-in Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, Jesus and Mickey Mouse, among others, to be president. A few cast their vote for a Popovich-Duncan ticket, but despite their efforts, Trump and Mike Pence were elected president and vice president.
The write-in records, obtained from the Bexar County Elections Department, show 5,226 people cast a vote for someone, or something, other than the two major party candidates— Clinton and Trump.
That’s pretty great, and let’s be honest, Pop would be a fairly attractive candidate at this point. It’s not like the country requires experience as a prerequisite anymore. If you’re wondering what else received votes:
Other notable choices include first lady Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Darth Vader, “Deez Nutz,” and George Strait.
And, then, there were the nihilists:
Some voters decided they’d rather end it all than vote for Trump or Clinton— “giant meteor” received two votes.
Hey, they almost got their wish:
[mySA]
