Uncategorized

Elmo, Lord Buckethead, Boss Hogg, and More Ran for Office (and Got Votes) in the British Election

by Kendall Ashley
Jun 9 2017 • 9:30 AM

If you follow politics at all, you’ll know that Britain has just had a monumental electionOpens in a new tab. Many British citizens have grown increasingly unhappy with the current regime after events like Brexit and the manner in which Prime Minister Theresa May responded to the attack in Manchester. So not surprisingly, this electionOpens in a new tab was pretty intense, with huge party upsets and surprising wins and losses. And while the shift in government and the peaceful transfer of power is always fascinating to watch and learn about, there was something equally fascinating about the election: some of the lesser-known candidates.

Here in the U.S., just about anyone can run for office, and anyone can be named as a “write-in” candidate. However, when the votes are tallied and the winner is announced, you don’t get to see all of the candidates lined up in a row together like you do in the UK. So when yesterday’s election results were announced, we got to see some of the more unique options for British leadership. For instance, Mr. Fishfinger:

There were also some other familiar faces at the election. Faces like ElmoOpens in a new tab from Sesame Street and The Dukes of Hazzard’s Boss Hogg.

While most of these joke/protest-style candidates went unnoticed in the election, Elmo (whose real name is Bobby Smith) must have had some political ideals that spoke to a very specific group of British citizens. As Breaking NewsOpens in a new tab reports, he was able to snag a respectable three votes. But Elmo’s performance is nothing compared to the votes snagged by the one and only Lord Buckethead (a candidate who has run in previous elections as well), who managed to grab up a whopping 249 votes.

These, shall we say, non-traditional candidates are always one of the bizarre highlights of British elections. And while some find these political stunts frustrating, there were plenty of Brits praising this unique and bizarre aspect of their political system.

Ultimately, it seems that Theresa May was the victorious candidate for Prime Minister, but hey, at least it seems like she was getting along with Lord Buckethead when the results were announced, right? Ah, democracy!

Did you watch the British elections? Who has been your favorite “unique” candidate? Tell us in the comments!

Feature Image: Lord Buckethead/TwitterOpens in a new tab