Some Just Say No in Final Presidential Election Tally

Faced with the choice of George Bush or Michael Dukakis, thousands of Los Angeles County voters opted to just say no.

Election data made public Tuesday showed that about 2,000 county voters decided instead to cast presidential write-in ballots for a slew of non-candidates including Jesse Jackson, Clint Eastwood, Alexander Haig, David Letterman, Steve Garvey, Mickey Mouse and Brownie Bear, among other mammals. There was also at least one vote for President for a decidedly unworldly creature, E.T.

In all, 4,081 write-in ballots were cast for ineligible non-candidates for various offices, according to the county registrar-recorder’s office. The official results, certified by the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday, revealed that 2.73 million voters went to the polls in Los Angeles County on Nov. 8, a turnout of 72.55%.

Although Dukakis and Bush received the lion’s share (the Massachusetts governor tabulated 1,372,352 votes and the President-elect 1,239,716), the write-ins revealed a certain level of disenchantment over and above that expressed by the 32,000 ballots cast for the three third-party candidates listed on the ballot.

“We’ve been getting away from a lot of the Mickey Mouse stuff,” said Margarite Brown, division chief of election services. “But the write-ins were heavier this time.”

Since write-ins are deemed void unless a candidate has pre-registered with the secretary of state’s office, election officials do not tabulate ballots cast for the unofficial vote-getters in their official report. However, authorities did allow a reporter to pore through three boxes brimming with the voided ballots.

The unscientific survey revealed that the Rev. Jesse Jackson was the king of the write-ins, winning dozens of votes from Saugus to South Pasadena. On several ballots, Jackson’s name was scrawled in for both president and vice president.

Jackson was not the only clergyman to win support. The Revs. Pat Robertson and Robert Schuller were also listed on presidential ballots in Los Angeles. And in Whittier, the home of Richard Nixon (who received at least one write-in vote for President himself), both the Pope, John Paul II, and the King, Elvis Presley, were named on write-in ballots.

Other intriguing vote-getters included TV newsman Ted Koppel, actor Anthony Quinn, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev, consumer advocate Ralph Nader, Los Angeles City Councilman Gilbert Lindsay, late rock and roller John Lennon and “None of the Above.”

On the island of Catalina, “On the Road” TV newsman Charles Kuralt won a vote. And in Beverly Hills, auto executive Lee Iacocca was named on three ballots.

Across the county, write-in balloters appeared to be making statements as they improvised their own dream tickets.

Several voters took the liberty to write in Lloyd Bentsen for President with Michael Dukakis as his running mate. Another voter paired Kitty Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen. And Elizabeth Dole received a vote for President with her husband, Bob, listed for vice president.

Col. Oliver North won several votes for vice president, matched variously with Dr. Timothy Leary, Admiral John Poindexter and Lyndon LaRouche.