Write-in votes failed to make much of an impact last semester during the Fall Student Government elections. Eighty-two different people (or those people’s friends, or whoever) tried, with no luck, to make their mark on the election. None came close, but they tried for any number of reasons even if the idea sprung into their heads while they were standing in line to vote.

One explanation for write-in votes in any election is that voters are not satisfied with the field of candidates. In November 2002, the Boston Globe reported, that in the Massachusetts Senate race “at least 20,000 people apparently voted for write-in Senate candidate Randall Forsberg…to protest US Senator John F. Kerry’s support of war on Iraq.” The article goes on to say that some voters were upset that Kerry was first critical of President Bush, but then voted to authorize military force in Iraq.

Kerry ended up winning the election, but he undoubtedly heard the message that people were not satisfied with how he was choosing to represent them.

No such movement is apparent in the official SGA vote list. The most votes a write-in candidate received was four.

Some write-in candidates were obviously victims of alternate spellings. Joseph Mills would have doubled his votes to two had his constituents decided whether or not they wanted his shortened name to include the letter “y”. Sadly, Joe Mills and Joey Mills each received one separate vote. Had Mills been able to bring the votes together he would have edged slightly up the list past such formidable write in candidates as Bill Clinton.

Other voters seemed ill informed of their candidate’s positions.

One write-in voter will be pleasantly surprised to hear that Eric Fagan, actually Eric Fegan, is already working in SGA, serving as Vice President for Administrative Affairs.

Another voter will be discouraged that Kent Kelso will not be able to mount a more formidable campaign bid for the next election. He is already serving as Dean of Students.

Elias Hajjar, The Northerner’s Sports editor, is probably going to stick to reporting.

But there may be hope yet for the person/thing known as Jellybean Goat who raked in one vote, or for Shit Face, who, well, what can you say.

With these names aside, there were plenty of other people on the list of write-ins who were probably eligible to run for a position with their name on the ballot had they decided to fill out the paperwork.

It would be na