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May 23

Is Britain the only country to have comedy candididates at elections?

I have added a little to our article on Count Binface, who recently finished ahead of the far-right candidate in the 2024 London mayoral election (see countbinface.com). We have articles on Screaming Lord Sutch and his Official Monster Raving Loony Party and the former Fancy Dress Party. I found this news article; The Top 10: Joke candidates which lists rather more than ten. Are we alone in this, or does it happen elsewhere? Our Perennial candidate article lists a great many hopeless causes from across the globe, but they all appear to take themselves seriously. Alansplodge (talk) 16:06, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Does Vermin Supreme count? GalacticShoe (talk) 16:19, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

He certainly does! Any more? I feel a Wikipedia article coming on. Alansplodge (talk) 16:25, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Pat Paulsen and Jello Biafra --136.54.106.120 (talk) 16:35, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Wikipedia has List of frivolous political parties and Category:Joke political parties... -- AnonMoos (talk) 18:54, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Palito Ortega is a popular singer and comedy actor from Argentina. He was elected governor of the Tucuman Province in 1991. He ran for vicepresident under Eduardo Duhalde in 1999, but lost. Cambalachero (talk) 19:01, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Did you forget Volodymyr Zelenskyy? An actual comedian who won the presidential election in Ukraine. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:23, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

My favorite campaign promise from a joke party (I think 1970s era Monster Raving Loonie… but that could be wrong): “Proposed: to better integrate into the European Common Market the UK will switch from left side of the road driving to right side of the road driving… however, to minimize disruption this will be implemented using a “phased in” approach - starting with heavy cargo vehicles.”

Took me a few seconds to see the joke. Blueboar (talk) 21:45, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

I think there were a lot of jokes about the Swedish driving direction transition in the 1960s (Dagen H) being introduced "gradually", so probably not original. Apparently Screaming Lord Sutch once campaigned on introducing pet passports, an idea which was later implemented. AnonMoos (talk) 17:51, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

Stuart Drummond, better known at the time as H'Angus the Monkey (Hartlepool United F.C.'s mascot - it's a long story) stood for election for Mayor of Hartlepool in 2002 on a promise to provide free bananas for all schoolchildren in the town. He was duly elected, and (having stood down as mascot) fulfilled the promise. He was then reelelected—twice. -- Verbarson  ^talk_edits 17:20, 26 May 2024 (UTC)

My favourite MRLP policy was to launch an investigation into why there is only one Monopolies Commission Chuntuk (talk) 14:22, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

The list by AnonMoos above includes 4 examples from New Zealand, at least 3 of them stood candidates at elections. More recently, the The Wizard of New Zealand who is also called a founder of one of those parties, stood in the 2022 Christchurch mayoral election [1] [2] Nil Einne (talk) 03:22, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Porn star Mary Carey (actress) ran for governor of California in 2003 on a campaign platform of "taxing breast implants, making lap dances tax-deductible, and creating a 'Porn for Pistols' exchange program. She came in #10 in a field of 135 candidates. Weightlifter and action movie hero Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor. Cullen328 (talk) 18:17, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

One well-known joke actually became President of the USA for a while. History may even repeat itself. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:44, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Twice-told jokes rarely work (and that guy hardly worked at all). Clarityfiend (talk) 23:36, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Now, now… Millard Filmore wasn’t THAT bad as President! Blueboar (talk) 11:39, 29 May 2024 (UTC)

It is common in Poland. Same goes to Italy(Italian Nettist Party). 188.33.224.166 (talk) 00:34, 5 June 2024 (UTC)

Many thanks one and all. Alansplodge (talk) 20:29, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

Watch meme videos of him he seems like a satirical candidate but maybe is just awkward, naive, comedy-using, single-issue and weird but serious (it is too damn high but forced rent cuts in a state with c.4 million non-working adults under age 67 (some of whom live off interest, sugar daddies etc) won't make 3-6 million new jobs) Rent Is Too Damn High Party. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 00:56, 27 May 2024 (UTC)

From our Frivolous parties article: Some more serious political parties, such as the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, may use the same tactics and humorous approaches to politics as their more frivolous counterparts but aim to address legitimate sociopolitical issues, something that some frivolous parties do not do. Alansplodge (talk) 10:42, 29 May 2024 (UTC)

How easy is it to get on the ballot in Britain? The ballot doesn't have that many choices in New York City. Like more than a few but not by much. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 23:26, 29 May 2024 (UTC)

According to the UK government website you need a £500 deposit. Other qualifications/disqualifications are listed there too. See also the Electoral Commission guidance

(According to my memory, the deposit will be returned if you gain more than 5% of the votes cast in your constituency. Also, I thought you needed 20 signatures of voters in your constituency, but I can't find confirmation of those in the online documentation.) -- Verbarson  ^talk_edits 10:37, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

It's ten signatures and 5% of total valid votes cast. DuncanHill (talk) 10:48, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

So, not a particularly expensive hobby, if you've got ten mates who are in on the joke. I once was Poll Clerk at a polling station for a Parliamentary bye-election where a 'Miss Whiplash' (possibly Lindi St Clair?) featured on the ballot paper, but she never dropped by... -- Verbarson  ^talk_edits 14:48, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

In Germany, there is "Die Partei" ("The Party"). For a while, their member in the European Parliament always alternated between voting 'yes' and 'no', no matter what was being voted on. --Morinox (talk) 14:44, 31 May 2024 (UTC)