We have electronic machines and a fixed ballot order in my county.  I
proposed automatically rotating names to my local parties and elected
officials to fix the potential problem of name order effects.  They rejected
the idea since they liked printing out sample ballots with the candidate
ordering as it appears on the machines, presumably so that illiterate
persons would be able to vote the party line.

------------
Dr. Michael P. McDonald 
Assistant Professor, George Mason University 
Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution

                          Mailing address: 
(o) 703-993-4191          George Mason University 
(f) 703-993-1399          Dept. of Public and International Affairs
mmcdon@gmu.edu            4400 University Drive - 3F4 
http://elections.gmu.edu  Fairfax, VA 22030-4444

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-election-law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu [mailto:owner-election-
law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu] On Behalf Of Roy Schotland
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2006 4:29 PM
To: Rick.Hasen@lls.edu; election-law@majordomo.lls.edu
Subject: Re: ballot order and computer touch-screen voting

Question, on behalf of a Georgian who hopes for a change from their
ballots' strict alphabetic-order listing--  Do you know of any
experience, or views, that may be helpful to her point:
    "Now that we vote entirely on computer touch-screens, I see no
reason why each ballot couldn't have a different order."
    I have no info about Georgia's general experience with their
alphabetic listing, but do know (from earlier exchanges with other
Georgians) that of their 19 appellate judges, elected statewide, the
four who first went on the bench by election as opposed to by
appointment are named Andrews, Barnes, Bernes, and Blackburn.

--
Roy A. Schotland
Professor
Georgetown U. Law Ctr.
600 New Jersey Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
phone 202/662-9098
fax        662-9680 or -9444