Can't vote for UND's next nickname? Buy your way in on Craigslist

If you're just itching to vote on the University of North Dakota's future nickname but aren't eligible, reach for your wallet and head to Craigslist.com.

Some intrepid Internet users – who are eligible to participate in the runoff vote for the final three nickname options – are offering their votes for sale online.

You can view the sales by clicking here. They range from "best offer" to $150, and a couple of the postings are decidedly satirical:

"Willing to trade (vote) for old or broken electronics as well, especially broken computers," one reads.

Another seller says, "I was fortunate enough to graduate as a Fighting Sioux. With that honor, comes great responsibility in choosing the next nickname for the landmark university in the state to epitimize (sic) honor, currage (sic), pride, overcoming adversity, and alcoholism winning games."

A contentious debate

The runoff, which began on Monday and ends Friday just before midnight, is a race between the Fighting Hawks, Roughriders, and Nodaks, the top vote-getters in last month's poll. It's been a long, hotly debated and even controversial battle, which began when UND retired its "Fighting Sioux" nickname in 2012.

The Grand Forks Herald says one of the Craigslist sellers, Schurkey Swanke, is selling his vote because he's "so sick of hearing about" the ongoing nickname debate, and that he's also "extremely frustrated with the state of higher education in North Dakota."

According to the paper, the university isn't too keen on the effort to trade votes for money, saying "we are glad (the sellers) recognize their opportunity to vote is valuable, but we're disappointed they would try to benefit from that opportunity."

This is the latest in a series of left-field reactions to the voting process – in September, ex-Bismarck Mayor Marlan Haakenson trademarked three of the nickname options with the intent of blocking the school from using the winner.

He's one of many alumni and UND fans who felt the school should simply keep going by "North Dakota," and who were displeased that the option was not among those put before voters.

Those allowed to participate in the contest are current UND students, faculty, staff, retirees, alumni, donors, and season ticket holders to the university's athletic events.