Trending: Byelection candidate changes name to Above Znoneofthe
Posted February 1, 2016 1:29 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
For once, voting ‘none of the above’ could put someone into office.
As reported over the weekend, one candidate in the upcoming Whitby-Oshawa byelection actually spent $137 to legally change his name to Above Znoneofthe, so he could appear last on the ballot as “Znoneofthe, Above”
Znoneofthe, formerly known as Shledon Bergson, told the CBC that he is aiming to rally support from people who normally wouldn’t vote.
“I’m aiming for all of the people who don’t normally vote,” he said. “I thought, one of these days we should get ‘none of the above’ on a ballot.”
It’s an interesting idea – an idea that anyone who watched write-in player John Scott win the NHL All-Star MVP award this weekend could get behind. Or maybe fans of Metta World Peace, or Prince when he changed his name to that unpronounceable symbol.
Unfortunately for Znoneofthe, CTV reports that provincial ballots list candidates by first name and then last name. So his name will appear as “Above Znoneofthe.”
Which kind of takes a little lustre off the original concept, no?
And what about the None of the Above party, which is running candidate Greg Vezina in the byelection?
Znoneofthe isn’t dissuaded. He even promises to keep the name if he wins.
“If I get elected, I’ll keep the name I was elected under,” he told CTV. “If there is a movement, and enough public support, maybe I’ll keep it until the next election.”
The other candidates in the Feb. 11 byelection are Liberal Elizabeth Roy, Progressive Conservative Lorne Coe and New Democrat Niki Lundquist.
The byelection was called after Christine Elliott announced her resignation after losing the PC leadership race to Patrick Brown.
