2. Do we really believe that huge chunks of the citizenry of states that generate this informtation read them?  Direct mail professionals doing work for politicos design radically different pieces designed to be effective in, oh, 15 seconds

I believe a significant number of voters do give state issued literature a better read than the political mailers.  We are all familiar with junk mail and respond accordingly.  Fewer of us get official government mail bearing the cloak of neutrality.  If voters don't bother with candidate info they do examine the ballot question literature to make sure what a yes or no means.

Michael Richardson