Most people ignore that write-in option at the bottom of every race on the ballot, dutifully choosing from the pre-printed options. Some think it’s an invitation to test their comedy chops for an audience of one. And still others use it to go ahead and vote for the candidate they wish were actually on the ballot.

Do write-in candidates ever win? Not often, but sometimes — most notably, Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, one of the longest-serving Ssenators in Congress, who actually turned 100 years old while still in office, was first elected via write-in in 1954.

If all the official candidates were stripped away, here’s who Bristol would send to the halls of power.

Bristol Town Clerk

The uncontested race for Town Clerk, won by Melissa Cordeiro, was the one which resulted in the most write-in votes, by far. The runaway write-in favorite was retiring Town Clerk Lou Cirillo, with 74 votes. (Mr. Cirillo also appeared as a write in candidate for the U.S. House seat currently held by David Cicilline, as well as the R.I. Senate 11 and 32 seats, Bristol Town Administrator, and Bristol Warren Regional School Committee.)

Other top finishers included Mickey Mouse (6 votes), Fourth of July Committee Chairman Michele Martins (5 votes), and Town Councilor Tony Teixeira (4 votes). Votes were also earned by the Invisible Man, Santa Claus, Tom Brady, Barack Obama, Scooby Doo, Batman, and, perhaps foreshadowing the Four Seasons Landscaping debacle, “screened loam.”

Bristol Town Administrator

The race for Town Administrator, also uncontested, inspired a number of alternate choices to incumbent Steven Contente, with former administrator and current Town Councilor Tony Teixeira earning 11 write-in votes. There was a three-way tie for write-in runner-up, with Bill Bullard, former Police Chief Josue Canario, and President Donald Trump each getting 4 votes. Also-rans include international soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, Elmo, Capt. Jack Sparrow, and “box o’ rocks.”

U.S. President

The race for presidential write-ins featured candidates that many voters wished were top-of-ballot options. Bernie Sanders was the top vote-getter in this category with 6, and others included 3 for Mitt Romney, 3 for Kanye West, 2 each for Andrew Yang and Pete Buttigieg, and one each for John Kasich, Anthony Fauci, Hilary Clinton, Dan Crenshaw, and Andrew Cuomo.

The surprising votes

Other interesting patterns emerged. The I-left-my-readers-in-the-car award goes to the voters who wrote in Bristol Town Council candidates Mike Byrnes and Tony Teixeira, who were already on the ballot. Likewise, the 9 Tara Thibodeau voters and 4 Daryl Gould voters who were so passionate about these Warren school committee candidates they decided to send some cross-border mojo.

The (dated) celebrities

The most interesting pattern to emerge is how the art of the write-in appears to appeal to a certain demographic, and despite (or perhaps because of) the record youth turnout this election, it’s pretty evident that Gen Z is taking their vote seriously. Everyone else, not so much. There were the hyper-retro votes for Benedict Arnold, Harry Truman, and Henry Ford; and the did-the-crime-did-the-time votes for Buddy Cianci and Ray Gallison.

There were all the votes for Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck (and Minnie cracked that glass ceiling a couple of times). There were votes for Daisy Duke, John Wayne, and Betty White, the Land Shark of Gilda Radner’s SNL days, VHS stars Ginger Lynn and Ron Jeremy, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, Raquel Welch, Johnny Cash, and Alfred E. Newman.

And then there’s this …

The youth vote turned out, though they may have just turned out for the top of the ballot. At least this one voter was honest about it, writing in his or her five slots for town council:

Don’t

Know

Enough

To

Vote

And 3 for school committee:

Same

Thing

Here