Watch: Dolphins Winter and Hope Deliver Election Day Distractions

CLEARWATER, FL — Folks who have had it up to their ears with the 2016 election season can enjoy a little visual distraction courtesy of Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Winter and Hope. The two plucky dolphins, however, are doing some stumping for last-minute votes themselves.

Winter and Hope, made famous in the “Dolphin Tale” movies, are on a campaign to earn 2 million votes before Election Day comes to an end. With more than 1.79 million votes already in for Winter’s bid for the presidency, the flippered celebrity is nearing the goal.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium announced the official unofficial candidacy of Winter the dolphin in August. The world-famous critter featured in the “Dolphin Tale” movies is running on the 3R Party ticket, which stands for rescue, rehab and release.

Winter decided to swim up for the 2016 presidential race “due to overreaching negativity in the overall electorate,” the aquarium explained in its candidacy announcement. Winter promises to have “a completely positive campaign, and will address key issues that pertain to marine life, the environment, special needs children, and wounded soldiers, all key parts of the CMA mission.”

Hope, Winter’s sidekick and best friend, is the 3R party’s vice presidential nominee.

Winter has been an international star for years. Since her December 2005 rescue, she’s proven herself a fighter and a winner, aquarium officials say. Winter was found entangled in a crab trap rope and lost her tail as a result. She now swims around with the best of them courtesy of a prosthetic tail.

Winter, aquarium officials say, never let that setback set her back, which is why she’s hopeful she can introduce the electorate to “a new form of positive leadership."

Slogans for the dark horse … dark dolphin’s campaign include “Make America Cute Again” and “I’m With Winter.”

Since Winter’s candidacy is anything but orthodox, the aquarium has announced that supporters can vote more than once in the no-holds-barred kind of race.

“This is the first time anyone, of any age, from any country, can vote in a U.S. Presidential election,” the aquarium says. Votes can be cast up to 10 times a day, per a person’s device, at WinterForPresident.com.

All joking aside, Winter’s "race" for the White House has a serious goal in mind. If the dolphins manage to reel in enough votes to make their goal, a sponsor has agreed to fly 21-year-old Stephanie Evans from Brownsburg, Indiana, to Clearwater to meet with her flippered hero.

“During her multi-year ordeal of waiting for a donor, Stephanie visited Winter every few months as her symptoms improved after each visit,” the aquarium said. “She now wants to make a return visit to complete her healing process."

The idea for the "campaign" began to take seed a few years ago, aquarium CEO David Yates told Patch in August. Since the aquarium's Facebook fans supported the "candidacy" and it was time to inject something positive into this presidential election year, the aquarium decided to let Winter dive into the race.

As for the sponsorship, it involves funds the aquarium has set aside to provide travel expenses for fighters like Winter to meet the dolphin. In addition to helping Stephanie see her hero once more, the campaign is hoped to drum up awareness about issues near and dear to the creatures and people at the aquarium.

Winter’s supporters can also make donations to help the campaign along. Rather than attack ads or flashy yard signs, CMA promises the money will go towards its rescue, rehab and release efforts.

Check out Winter and Hope’s last-minute campaign antics below. Those who want to vote on the 3R ticket may do so on the Winter For President website.

Photo courtesy of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium