Advertisement

Charles Darwin gets 4000 write-in votes in Ga. House election

By GABRIELLE LEVY, UPI.com
Left, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) UPI/Kevin Dietsch; Right, Charles Darwin
1 of 2 | Left, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) UPI/Kevin Dietsch; Right, Charles Darwin | License Photo

Remember Rep. Paul Broun, the Georgia Republican whose speech decrying evolution and the Big Bang Theory (the science, not the hit TV show) as lies "from the pit of hell"?

At least a few Georgians did: Some 4,000 voters wrote in "Charles Darwin" rather than voting Broun on their ballots Tuesday.

Advertisement

Broun, serving his third term in Congress and running unopposed in his district in northeast Georgia, made headlines when a video of a speech he gave in September went viral.

“All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell,” he said, while standing in front of a wall mounted with at least a dozen deer and moose heads, eying him warily.

After Broun's comments revealed him as generally in denial of proven science, voters were particularly shocked to find out he served as a member of the House Committee on Science and Technology.

The Athens Banner-Herald reports that at least 4,000 voters in Broun's 10th Congressional district wrote in 19th Century naturalist Charles Darwin's name on their ballots as a protest of the Representative's remarks. Darwin, of course, is most famous for laying the foundations of evolutionary theory.

Advertisement

At least one Facebook page--Darwin for Congress--campaigned for write-ins, but because Darwin was not an certified write-in candidate, some counties would not count votes for him.

The Banner-Herald writes:

In a Thursday interview, ["Darwin for Congress creator Jim] Leebens-Mack pointed out that in addition to the write-in votes cast for Darwin, the 10th District contest attracted a large number of other write-in ballots. “Votes” were cast in the race for “Anyone but Broun,” “Anyone else” and various permutations of that sentiment, with “Big Bird” and “Bill Nye, The Science Guy” also earning ballots...

In addition to the write-in votes cast for Darwin in the 10th Congressional District race, a handful of votes for the long-dead British scientist were cast in other races on Athens-Clarke County ballots. Votes for Darwin were tallied in both statewide Public Service Commission races, and for all of the state legislative offices on the ballot, including uncontested seats.

“I can’t ever remember seeing a (write-in ballot) report that long,” said Athens-Clarke County Elections Supervisor Gail Schrader after releasing the full list of write-in numbers to local media Thursday morning.

Acording to CBS Atlanta, that list also included write-in votes for Big Bird, Stephen Colbert (no word on whether that was for the person or the character he plays on The Colbert Report), "Eve Olution," and one for Star Trek alum and Internet megastar George Takei.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines

Advertisement

Trending Stories

Advertisement

Follow Us

Advertisement