How to convert <select> dropdown into an unordered list using jquery?

I am so going to get some hate for this solution but what about this?

var rep = $("select")
          .clone()
          .wrap("<div></div>")
          .parent().html()
          .replace(/select/g,"ul")
          .replace(/option/g,"li");

$("select").replaceWith(rep);

Edit:

And almost five years later; yes, I hate myself for this answer.

There are a few problems here. What if you have an option in the list that goes like this: <option value="5">With optional engraving</option>. You'll get <li value="5">Withlialengraving</li>. Here's an alternative in vanilla javascript (because jQuery doesn't really support this).

var parent = document.querySelector('select'),
    docFrag = document.createDocumentFragment(),
    list = document.createElement('ul');

// build list items
while(parent.firstChild) {
  // we simultaniously remove and store the node
  var option = parent.removeChild(parent.firstChild);

  // not interested in text nodes at this point
  if(option.nodeType !== 1) continue;

  // lets build a list item
  var listItem = document.createElement('li');

  // we loop through the properties of the node and
  // apply only the ones that also exist as atributes
  for(var i in option) {
    if(option.hasAttribute(i)) listItem.setAttribute(i, option.getAttribute(i));
  }

  // loop through the select children to append to the
  // list item.  We want text nodes this time.
  while(option.firstChild) {
    listItem.appendChild(option.firstChild);
  }

  // append them to the document fragment for easier
  // appending later
  docFrag.appendChild(listItem);
}

// build wrapping ul.  Same as above
for(var i in parent) {
  if(parent.hasAttribute(i)) list.setAttribute(i, parent.getAttribute(i));
}

// add the list items to the list
list.appendChild(docFrag);

// lastly replace the select node with the list
parent.parentNode.replaceChild(list, parent);

<select id="yearfilter" name="yearfilter">
<option value="">All years</option>
<option value="2011">2011</option>
<option value="2010">2010</option>
<option value="2009">2009</option>
</select>

You can use map() to build the <li> elements from the <option> elements, and replaceAll() to replace the <select> element:

var $yearFilter = $("#yearfilter");
$yearFilter.find("option").map(function() {
    var $this = $(this);
    return $("<li>").attr("value", $this.attr("value")).text($this.text()).get();
}).appendTo($("<ul>").attr({
    id: $yearFilter.attr("id"),
    name: $yearFilter.attr("name")
})).parent().replaceAll($yearFilter);

You can see the results in this fiddle.

There is no reason to add name attributes to ul, nor value attributes to li tags.

Try this: http://jsfiddle.net/vfjFK/2/

$(function(){
    var id = "yearfilter";
    $('#'+id).after("<ul id='temp' />")
        .children("option").each(function() {
            $("#temp").append("<li>"+$(this).text()+"</li>");
        })
        .end().remove();
    $('#temp').attr("id",id);
});

If you really need the useless attributes, though, try this: http://jsfiddle.net/vfjFK/3/

$(function(){
    var id = "yearfilter";
    $('#'+id).after("<ul id='temp' />")
        .children("option").each(function() {
            $("#temp").append('<li value="'+$(this).val()+'">'+$(this).text()+"</li>");
        })
        .end().remove();
            $('#temp').attr({"id":id,"name":id});
});

Here is one way to do it:

var $select = $('#yourSelectElement'),
    $ul = $('<ul></ul>').attr('id', $select.attr('id'))
                        .attr('name', $select.attr('name'));

$select.children().each(function() {
    var $option = $(this);
    $('<li></li>').val($option.val())
                  .text($option.text())
                  .appendTo($ul);
});

$select.replaceWith($ul);

You would simply replace the tags with their counterpart:

 var select = $('#yearFilter');
 var ul = $('<ul/>');
 ul.attr({ id: select.attr('id'), name: select.attr('name') });

 select.find('option').each(function()
 {
     var item = $('<li/>');
     item.text(this.Text).val(this.val());

     ul.append(item);
 });

 $('#yearFilter').replaceWith(ul);