We know that election results are sometimes manipulated by political parties and individuals. What you may not have heard before is a poll result being skewed by voters not being able to figure out exactly who they were voting for.
This is the predicament the residents of the Romanian town of Draguseni faced this week as the incumbent mayor, Vasile Cepoi, faced re-election. He was confronted by his bitter rival Vasile Cepoi, and a young upstart called Vasile Cepoi.
The real problem is that both names are comon in Romania. However, being a seasoned politician, the victor did something smart – he used his middle name, Lica, which according to him made all the difference. He won by an overwhelming majority of the vote.
Perhaps that’s no surprise. Politics is all local and doubtless the town liked the incumbent. Plus, voters are used to this. You can’t tell the difference between most politicians anyway.