With apologies to Bugs Bunny, The Teletubbies, and even Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck has a fine tradition of scoring high in Swedish national elections, among voters who favor the joke vote. In fact, over the last 20 years, the Donald Duck Party has scored enough write-in votes at points to theoretically be country's ninth most popular political organization. That's quackers! The Donald Duck Party — better known in Sweden as Kalle Anka — dukes it out with the Tax Evader's National Party, the Beer Party and the Professional Bachelors Party for seats in the Riksdag, Sweden's 349-member parliament.

Nonexistent Candidates Disappear

About one in 20 Swedish voters cast their ballots for unofficial, write-in candidates. That's about 26,000 votes. Donald's best showing in recent years came in 1985, when he took 291 votes. Perhaps in a country of nine million, that's not that impressive. But let's remember — he's a cartoon duck and he frequently gets more votes than living, breathing politicians. Sadly for Donald, the joke won't go on forever. Swedish politicians are changing election rules. By 2006, voters will be prohibited from choosing nonexistent candidates, eliminating the potential embarrassment of leaders having to open an embassy in Tomorrowland. I think Donalds got the politicains worried.