Vote Early Vote Often

About

Vote Early, Vote Often is a catchphrase commonly associated with encouraging greater voter participation in elections, ironically suggesting that people take advantage of early voting and emphasizing the idea that voting multiple times could be beneficial. The phrase had its origins in the United States in the mid-19th century but only gained widespread use in the early 1900s with the activities of organized crime led by Al Capone and the mafia in Chicago. Online, the catchphrase is often used humorously or satirically in various discussions and memes about electoral processes since early 2017.

Origin

The phrase "vote early, vote often" has its roots in various political campaigns that can be traced back to the mid-19th and early 20th centuries.^[1] It was originally used to highlight the perceived inefficacies and absurdities in the electoral system, suggesting that some individuals might attempt to vote multiple times in elections.^[2]

While the exact first instance of the catchphrase appearing online is unknown, the earliest known memetic usage of the phrase was posted on April 16th, 2017, when an unknown Make a Meme^[3] user uploaded an image macro of former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton laughing with the caption, "Vote early, vote often" (seen below).

Spread

The catchphrase "Vote Early, Vote Often" has steadily gained significant prominence since the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, especially during major election cycles, as an ironic meme to deceive naive voters or mock political opponents.

For example, on November 4th, 2024, X^[4] user @theonlyjordan__ posted a picture of American gangster Al Capone alongside the caption, "Remember to vote early and often, it's the Chicago way." The post (seen below) amassed more than 560 views and 10 likes in a day.

On October 29th, 2024, TikTok^[5] user @tillman_esq posted an interview with Ms. Washington in which she recalls how some people in the 1950s and '60s used to take the phrase literally. The video (seen below) amassed roughly 4,000 plays and 200 likes in a week.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References