On Tuesday, Wake County Board of Elections member Gerry Cohen tweeted out lists of the write-in vote for the October 8 Raleigh and Wake County municipal elections—in other words, people who went did their civic duty, went to the polls, and, when confronted with the choices before them, said the hell with it and wrote in Batman.
Actually, just one person did that, at least in Raleigh’s mayor’s race.
Someone else wrote in “Nobody.” Three more wrote in “None of the Above,” which seems a bit glib, considering there were six candidates. Another person: “I vote Republican Straight Republican”—which, in the Raleigh mayor’s race, was the same as voting for nobody. “Any Conservative,” “Any Conservative Will Do,” and “Any Republican” each got one vote, as well.
If you want to go back to 2001, Paul Coble—the last Republican to run the city—got three write-in votes. He was bested by local Democratic political operative Perry Woods, who garnered four. Both edged out Daffy Duck, Willie Nelson, Walter Raleigh, and the retiring Nancy McFarlane, who each netted one vote. (Not sure he would’ve taken the job, but we are very much here for a Willie Nelson administration. Walter Raleigh might have a more difficult time, on account of his head having been separated from his shoulders a few centuries ago.)
Wake County write-in votes. First: Raleigh city Council At-large /1 pic.twitter.com/r5VbCl25ak
— Gerry Cohen (@gercohen) October 15, 2019
In the Raleigh City Council at-large race, Batman scored another vote, as did Deez Nutz, David Cox, David Meeker, Bob, Bonner Gaylord, Dallas Woodhouse (why?), Donald Duck, Goofy, I Vote Straight Republican, Jesus Christ, Joshua Gunn (he’s running in Durham, y’all), Gerry Cohen, Legalize Weed (not a person, but again, here for it), No Developers No Cops, No More Bike Lanes, Pootie Tang, Ron Paul (seriously?), Senator Bernard Sanders (who is currently seeking other job opportunities), Sarah Palin (lol), and The Joker.
Willie Nelson got two votes. Donald Trump got four. David Knight—who won the District E race—got six.
In DIstrict A, God and A Monkey received votes, though Patrick Buffkin won. In District B, Batman got another vote, as did Gingrich—Newt?—but David Cox pulled through. In District C, downtown bar owner Zack Medford received two votes, as did someone named Lee Blakely; Corey Branch prevailed easily. In District D, where Saige Martin prevailed, David Knight (a District E candidate) and Joshua Bradley (a District A candidate) received votes.
And in District E, where Knight trounced incumbent Stef Mendell, Trump got three votes, former Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison got one, right-wing activist Joe Stanbury got one, No More Bike Lanes got one, Paul Coble got one, and Gods Plan received one.
Contact editor in chief Jeffrey C. Billman at jbillman@indyweek.com.
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“…people who went did their civic duty, went to the polls, and, when confronted with the choices before them, said the hell with it and wrote in Batman.”
Well of course they did, who ELSE would you expect to handle The Joker, who was written in for the At-Large seat?
https://twitter.com/gercohen/status/1184114283577249793/photo/4