As in many "elections," people at the 2011 Iowa Straw Poll must be 18 years old to cast a ballot.

Unlike in other races, though, another requirement must be met before a person is allowed to vote here: A ticket with a pricetag of $30. By noon Saturday, people clutching those $30 permission slips were waiting in line for up to 30 minutes to take part in the Iowa Straw Poll's version of democracy. The Iowa "Straw Poll" is one of the great misnomers in politics, right up there with "campaign finance reform." There are no straws involved, no votes taken by a raising of the hands. In fact, voting machines monitored by the state's election officials are used.

The free vote thing is relaxed for the Straw Poll, which, among other things, is actually a fundraiser for the Iowa GOP. Some people, like 30-year-old Steve Rude, who grew up in Ames, was willing to pay for his ticket. But he didn't. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty did. Just like he bought tickets for hundreds or thousands of other people to vote for him. Michele Bachmann, of course, did the same thing. So did Ron Paul.

So, it appears, did every candidate who's part of the Straw Poll. "So, maybe Bachmann buys a million tickets," Rude said. "If she has only 50 people willing to vote for her, she's not going to get a million votes."

Oh, for shame, said the wandering Abraham Lincoln, aka, 72-year-old Stan DeHaan, of Iowa's Orange City.

"I didn't know about this requirement to pay to vote," DeHaan said, his ample nose pointed at the ground. "I'm not sure how honest that is."