Today, a couple of of you may vote. Sadly, there is not any Geek Party candidate reppin’ in Congress. So we’ve picked out 5 geek-friendly politicians to contemplate leaving a hanging chad for.

We’re not examining whatever else they stand for, or asking you to vary your politics-we’re just gazing a couple of candidates based on their Giz-friendly credentials . (And in the event you’re wondering find out how to vote, look into our guide for your local voting machine .)

Rick Boucher (D) Virginia Rep., 9th District

Rick Boucher could think iPods were powered by pixie dust and we would still think he’d be a Giz-worthy candidate. Why? His enduring campaign to fight the worst provisions inside the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, that wonderful piece of legislation that makes it illegal to avoid copy protection mechanisms like digital rights management. an incredible proponent of fair use , he introduced the FAIR USE act a couple of years back, which would’ve make the DMCA less ridiculous by providing reasonable exemptions for buying around copyright protection and enshrining fair use as a law. He’s also voted yes on net neutrality and promoting commercial flight, though he loses some points for voting yes to giving telecoms retroactive immunity for warrantless wiretapping.

Russ Feingold (D) Wisconsin Senator

Russ Feingold has his hands in quite a few pots-and is fighting a hotly contested election , but his leadership in Congress on two issues makes him the Giz choice: His efforts to fight amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act a couple years ago, the legislation that granted telecoms retroactive immunity for warrantless wiretapping and greatly relaxed rules for electronic surveillance . Last year, Feingold introduced the JUSTICE act , which aimed to reinforce privacy safeguards by reforming the worst aspects of the Patriot act. The alternative is that he’s one of the crucial biggest proponents of net neutrality in Congress, a principle that seems increasingly threatened by things like the backdoor deal between Google and Verizon .

Barbara Boxer (D) California Senator

Barbara Boxer gives geeks a whole lot to like, spread over a host of smaller tech issues. She introduced the Jumpstart Broadband Act of 2003, which allocated more wireless spectrum for broadband, she opposed the FISA amendments like Russ Feingold, she’s co-signed legislation for net neutrality and is a large booster of investing in green energy technologies.

Ed Markey (D) Massachusetts Rep., 7th District

Ed Markey has held a Congressional hearing in Second Life, the first time a Congressional hearing was ever virtually simulcast. He’s among the many top telecom wonks in Congress, having proceeded over the Communications, Technology and the net panel for just about 20 years before his current gig as chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. He was one of the crucial major consumer advocates throughout the digital TV transition , having pushed to delay the transition until it was certain fewer people would lose their signals. As among the other Congressmen vying for the largest boner for net neutrality, he wrote the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009 , the House’s major net neutrality bill, and thought the Verizon and Google deal to neuter wireless net neutrality stinks as much we did.

Rush Holt (D) New Jersey Rep., 12th District

Rush Holt has about as much legit geek cred as anybody in Congress: A precise scientist, he was assistant director of Princeton’s Plasma Physics Lab and has a solar energy patent of his own after years of researching alternative energy. If there’s anything we want more of in Congress, it’s nerds. Oh, and he’s won Jeopardy! five times . On the subject of actual technology issues, he’s voted yes on net neutrality, promoting commercial space flight and nanotechnology research funding. Did we mention the dude’s been on Jeopardy!?

Those are just five Congresspeople we know that trumpet most of the geek ideals that line up with Gizmodo’s-we’d love to hear which geeky candidates you’re voting for, and why.

Photo by flickr user neotint

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This post is tagged: Digital Millennium Copyright Act, digital rights management, electronic surveillance, foreign intelligence surveillance act, intelligence surveillance, warrantless wiretapping