CHEYENNE - It happens every year, and while it apparently amuses some, it causes headaches for election officials.

Mickey Mouse received three write-in votes in state legislative races in the Wyoming's Aug. 17 primary election. Donald Duck received only one, in Sweetwater County.

Mickey got all three of his votes in Fremont County, which seemed to be the hot spot this year.

Someone named "Muffled Human" received one write-in vote each for a Senate seat and a House seat. Both votes came from the same precinct in Fremont County.

A Fremont County voter also wrote in Hillary Clinton for a House seat.

Rock and roll was represented as well. Eric Clapton was written in on a Laramie County ballot for state House, while "Ozzy Ousbourne," spelled just like that, received one Senate vote in Sweetwater County, in the same precinct where Donald Duck found support.

Many write-in votes were cast for people who are already in the Legislature but weren't in the specific political party or in the same House or Senate district in which they received those votes.

Several others were cast for state officials. Among the highest vote-getters in that category were U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin and State Treasurer Cynthia Lummis.

One Laramie County voter apparently chose to send a message regarding state fiscal policy by writing in "Tax Lower" in a Senate race.

Secretary of State Joe Meyer was not amused to see some people make jokes of their write-in votes.

"It makes you wonder what people are thinking," he said. "It takes the clerks a lot of time to count those."

Capital bureau reporter Bill Luckett can be reached at (307) 632-1244 or at bill.luckett@casperstartribune.net.