The most animals to
stand as candidates in the same election stands at 19, in the Local Authority
elections of Bitstock, a town in Devon, Britain, in 2002. Candidates included
Oscar, a Chinchilla (Independent), Lord Somersby, a Great Bernard
(Independent), and Phillipa, a Baboon (Sum Dum Monkey Party). Oscar’s campaign
manager and owner, Brenda Milthorne explained, “This was an organised protest
over the fact that, despite 15 years of mismanagement and, many believe, corruption,
our Local Authority is still headed by Dame Shirley Atkins, a convicted
criminal who has expressed utter contempt for local democracy, and lives in
Spain for 11 months out of every year.” Ms. Milthorne insisted that the number
of candidates for the ‘animal protest vote’ may have been too high, as the
number of votes they gained would have got 3 of them onto the Local Authority
if it had been shared between fewer candidates.
©2012 James Mathurin
 |
| Although none of the nominated "Bitstock 19" won their Local Authority elections, this Pug Dog, Dame Bickerstaffe, did successfullly stand for election as the town mayor 3 years later. Photograph provided by DaPuglet. |
©2012 James Mathurin
