EST. 2012 — NEW MEXICO, USA
A Republican registered his Labrador as a Democrat. Two weeks later, Buddy had a voter registration card.
$BUDDY
CHAPTER ONE ★ ALBUQUERQUE, 2012
AND IT ACTUALLY WORKED.
In 2012, a Republican from Albuquerque named Thomas Tolbert decided to test the American voter registration system.
He submitted a registration form for his Labrador, Buddy, using invented information.
Two weeks later, a voter registration card arrived.
Buddy was registered as a Democrat.
FIG. 1 — BUDDY, CANDIDATE FOR GOOD BOY
EXHIBIT A
Buddy W. Tolbert. Registered Democrat. 2012.
NAME
BUDDY W. TOLBERT
PARTY
DEMOCRAT
A historical registration form — not a ballot. Available reporting indicates Buddy never voted.
2012
THE REGISTRATION
Buddy receives a voter registration card.
2012
THE INVESTIGATION
Local authorities investigate the fraudulent registration.
2016
THE STORY RETURNS
Buddy's story resurfaces during a New Mexico political campaign.
NOVEMBER 3, 2026
DEMOCRATS TAKE CONGRESS.
HOUSE
DEMOCRATIC CONTROL ✓
SENATE
DEMOCRATIC CONTROL ✓
Fourteen years after Buddy's unlikely registration made headlines, Democrats won control of the House and Senate in the 2026 midterm elections.
An extraordinary moment to revisit one of America's strangest political dog stories.
BUDDY IS.
He never gave a campaign speech. He never cast a ballot. But he somehow ended up with a voter registration card.
CAMPAIGN ARCHIVE
Not an actual endorsement.
DOCUMENT NO. 001 · 2012
The paperwork that started it all.