Write-ins add comedy to race

Republican Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue had re-election high on his so-called "Sonny Do" list, but he likely didn't include defeating Adolf Hitler, Mickey Mouse and Daffy Duck.

In Columbia County, this year's list of write-in candidates in the governor's race included one vote each for candidates ranging from the Nazi dictator and cartoon characters to syndicated radio personality Neal Boortz and Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman.

Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox led the charge with three votes.

About two dozen voters in the county chose to write in their own candidates over Perdue, Democratic Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and Libertarian candidate Garrett Michael Hayes.

Columbia County elections director Deborah Marshall said write-in votes only count when cast for certified write-in candidates.

The list of qualified state and local write-in candidates in Tuesday's general election included William Arth and David C. Byrne for governor, Al Bartwell for lieutenant governor, Henry Anderson for state school superintendent and Gene Hair for Columbia County's Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor. Of those official candidates, only Hair received valid votes for his office from Columbia County voters.

This was a typical year for write-in candidate selections, which normally include "Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and none of the above," as popular choices, Marshall said.

Mickey Mouse also picked up 36 votes as a write-in candidate against unopposed Republican county commission chairman Ron Cross, who won in a landslide. Satan, among others, picked up one vote against unopposed state Rep. Ben Harbin, R-Evans, while Jesus tallied a vote against unopposed state Sen. Jim Whitehead, R-Evans.

Other notable unofficial candidates picking up votes in state and local races included rock musician Eric Clapton for commissioner of agriculture and Spongebob Squarepants for insurance commissioner.