Celebrities find their way onto Island County ballots

Don’t have a cow, man, but someone wants Bart Simpson to be Island County’s next auditor. Though Jim Palmer, an Oak Harbor Republican, successfully waged a last-minute campaign to make it onto the November ballot in the auditor’s race, he wasn’t the only one who inspired voters to write in their own candidates during the primary.

By Brian Kelly • September 5, 2008 7:48 pm
Efren Ramirez
Efren Ramirez

Don’t have a cow, man, but someone wants Bart Simpson to be Island County’s next auditor.

Though Jim Palmer, an Oak Harbor Republican, successfully waged a last-minute campaign to make it onto the November ballot in the auditor’s race, he wasn’t the only one who inspired voters to write in their own candidates during the primary.

Palmer got 455 write-in votes, but county election records show hundreds of voters wrote in the names of others they wanted for county auditor.

Mickey Mouse was one of the most popular candidates; the cartoon rodent got eight write-in votes in the auditor’s race alone. Other voters also picked him for governor.

Other write-ins for auditor included Bozo, Donald Duck, Karl Marx, Hillary Clinton, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, John and Jane Doe, Sleeping Beauty and Joe Democrat.

And, “D’oh!” Someone also voted for Homer Simpson.

One voter apparently got an offer he couldn’t refuse, and penciled in Vito Corleone.

Almost anybody who is anybody was named. Joe Blow even got a vote.

Vote for Pedro? Someone did.

In state races, Stephen Colbert, the right- leaning faux newsman on the Comedy Network, got votes for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction.

Others getting a nod as write-ins for the post of superintendent of public instruction included Alfred E. Newman, Mr. Magoo, Laura Bush, Jesus Christ, Scrooge McDuck and Paris Hilton, who also got a vote for attorney general.

For the state supreme court, voters wrote in Judge Roy Bean, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, J.P. Patches (and Gertrude, too) and Hulk Hogan.

Write-in votes were also received in the Island County Superior Court, Position 1 race for Rush bass man Geddy Lee, Humpty Dumpty, Judge Judy, former President William Taft, Peter Pan and Bond, James Bond.

Many write-in candidates — with the exception of Hilton, J.P. Patches, Minnie and Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck — got one vote.

But it may be for a lack of campaigning. Mr. Apathy, for example, received a single vote for a precinct committee officer position.