In what may be the ultimate example of Search Engine Optimization by a politician, U.S. House of Representatives candidate Eddie Gonzalez legally changed his name to "VoteForEddie.com."
Why make the switch? Florida law requires that a candidate's legal name be printed on election ballots. By making the switch, voters picking Gonzalez will now select "VoteForEddie.com" come Election Day.
Gonzalez already has enough signatures to be placed on the ballot.
I'm running for Congress! Got all the petitions I need to have my name on the ballot! twitter.com/VoteForEddie/s…— VoteForEddie.Com (@VoteForEddie) May 23, 2012
The move will also generate publicity for the candidate, who's running as an independent without the backing of any major political party.
"Since I'm not under the wings or good graces of both political parties, I had to find a different way to get my message out there," Gonzalez told The Associated Press.
Gonzalez is challenging five-term U.S. representative U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Miami) for his seat in the House. According to Gonzalez's website, he's running on a platform of reducing the United States' dependency on foreign oil and cutting taxes for teachers, police officers and firefighters. He was born in 1980 to Cuban parents.