As the votes were counted in the final round of elections last week, some candidates celebrated and some licked their wounds. And another handful shared a small victory, knowing they weren't supposed to get any votes at all.

From Cary to Chapel Hill, candidates dropped out left and right in the months leading up to Oct. 6 and Nov. 3 elections. They cited reasons such as political conflicts, medication mix-ups and restaurant opportunities.

But their names remained next to the bubbles on the ballot, their promises of retreat coming after the official deadlines. And they got votes -- tens, hundreds, and in some cases, more than 1,000. One candidate got 71 votes and he couldn't even prove he lived in the right district.

Lacking exit polls, it's almost impossible to know why voters make the choices they do, said Mike Cobb, a political science professor at N.C. State. Ignorance and bad timing can be ingredients. "They see a 'D' or an 'R' and they vote," Cobb said. "They don't know that the 'D' or the 'R' have left the race. ... [Or] they don't like the other candidates and they're simply going to continue with their preference."

Ignorance can be excused in some cases, he said. In some cases, voters have cast early ballots for a candidate who then drops out. "It's the candidate who left them holding the bag," Cobb said.

Whatever the reason, here's how some of the too-late-to-get-off-the-ballot crowd fared:

Chris Wrenn was a political unknown in Fuquay-Varina when he challenged three other candidates for two seats on the town's Board of Commissioners. In early October, he said he was dropping out of the race because he had an opportunity to be part of a local restaurant venture. But his decision also happened alongside reports that he owed Wake County $10,000 in back taxes. He got 167 votes.

Phillip Scarsella dropped out of the Cary Town Council At-Large race in August. The 53-year-old accountant said he had a bad reaction to prescription drugs that constricted his blood vessels. "Everyone at work thought I was having a heart attack," Scarsella told a Cary News reporter at the time. Scarsella said the doctors thought it would be unsafe for him to endure the stress of the campaign. He was also to avoid climbing stairs or lifting anything heavier than 10 pounds. He got 1,869 votes -- almost 20 percent of all votes.

Kevin Wolff was running for Chapel Hill Mayor the third time when he decided to call it quits in October. His official reason was that he wanted to step aside to ensure a clear victory for one of the other candidates. Knowing he would remain on the ballot, he said any vote for him should be viewed as a protest to the current direction of council. He got 94 votes.

Bill Shakespeare was running for Raleigh Town Council At Large until he withdrew in August. Shakespeare's given name was Bill Mathews. He had it legally changed in the 1990s and listed himself as a 49-year-old artist and amateur photographer. He got 1,509 votes.

Chris Augustine dropped out of the District 2 Wake School Board Race in August, citing a litany of reasons why running the office successfully would be impossible. He predicted that the budget cuts would lead to no foreign languages, art or music offered in schools, larger class sizes and reduction in the gifted programs. He went on to say what he would have liked to do in office, but that "any new ideas will probably be drown out by the upcoming pain." He got 25 votes.

Cathy Truitt finished a distant second to John Tedesco in the Oct. 6 elections and quickly requested a runoff. She later conceded the race and tried to take back her request after early voting had begun. She even endorsed her opponent. But Truitt never officially withdrew her candidacy, and the state Board of Elections decided to go forward with the runoff. She lost last week, but picked up 23 percent of the vote.

Jerome Goldberg, running for a seat on Raleigh's City Council, dropped out of contention when the Wake County Board of Elections ruled that he didn't meet the residency requirements to run in District D. Goldberg fought the decision, claiming he was moving into a rental unit within the district. He hired a lawyer and is appealing the ruling as unconstitutional.

Regardless of who was right, Goldberg's name stayed on the ballot. And 71 people thought he was the best person for the job.

"I have no idea who voted for me," Goldberg said. The day after the election he went into work late. When his boss asked him why, he didn't miss a beat.

"I said, 'Do you know how tired I am -- running in and out of that voting booth 71 times?' "