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NYC Voters: Taylor Swift Should Be Governor


By

Ben Yakas

Published Nov 26, 2014

Modified Nov 26, 2014


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By

Ben Yakas

Published Nov 26, 2014

Modified Nov 26, 2014


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Almost everything's been coming up Taylor Swift this week: her best friend Lorde revealed the two have chowed down on Shake Shack, she discovered a new lipstick, and she's embraced her mistakes (and her tum tum). As if that wasn't enough, she was almost voted in as governor of NY.

Okay, that was perhaps a slight exaggeration: only two New Yorkers, of the 27% of NYC residents who bothered participating in Democracy this month, used their vote to write-in Swift. And as Bloomberg News points out, Swift wasn't alone among the gag vote. Here are some of the other notable write-in candidates, a strong mix of dead people, fictional people, actors, sports stars, musicians, current and former politicians, misspelled comedians, and karate experts:

Alfred E. Newman/Neuman (3), Anthony Weiner (6), "ARNOLD SWARTZENHAGER/SYLVESTER STALONE" (1), Beyonce Carter Knowles (1), Bill de Blasio (7), C. Montgomery Burns (1), Christopher Walken (2), Clark Kent (1), David Patterson (5), Derek Jeter (3), Ed Koch (4), Dr. Craig Spencer (2), Edward Snowden (2), "ELEANOR ROOSEVELT/FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT" (1), FDR (2), Francis Underwood (1), Gene Simmons (1), George Carlin (1), Hillary Clinton (6), Jason Kidd (1), Jimmy McMillan (15), Joan Didion (1), "John Stewart" (3), Kaci Hickox (6), "KACI HICKOX AND TAYLOR SWIFT" (1), Leslie Knope (1), Luke Skywalker (1), Malcolm X (1), Michael Bloomberg (29), Michael R. Bloomberg (14), Noam Chomsky (1), Peter Sellars (1), Phillip Hoffman (1), Pop Francis (1), Ray Kelly (1), Ray Rice (1), Rose Byrne (1), Roseanne Barr (1), Rudy/Rudolph Giuliani (6), Sarah Koenig (1), Stephen Colbert (4), Sterling Mallory Archer (1), Sue Simmons (2), Taylor Swift (2), "TINA FEY/AMY DOEHLER" (1).

And then there was Zephyr Teachout, whose properly-spelled name got 1,163 write-in votes; Zeohyr Teachout (2), Zepher Teachout (3), Zephr Teachout (4), Zephry Teachout (9), and of course, Zephyra Teachout (1).

You can see the full list below:

NY State Official Election Results

While she may never be governor of NY nor play Joni Mitchell in a movie, at least her ex has been cursed to haunting the subways for an eternity.

Tagged

democracy

governor

taylor swift

voting

voting matters


Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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