The order of names on the ballot in non-partisan races makes a difference!

On election day, I volunteered to drive voters without transportation to their voting place. In observing as they voted, I learned a valuable lesson about how people decide to vote in non-partisan races when they don't know the candidates. If they can vote for two, and there are three candidates, the voter will simply select the first two names on the ballot.

Apparently state election law requires that candidates for non-partisan offices be listed on the ballot in alphabetical order of the surname. That means that a candidate named Walker will probably never be successful as the third candidate where there are two seats available.

The solution is quite simple. Amend the law to require that the order of names on the ballot in non-partisan races be established by lottery at the local election board after the filing date. That gives those with surnames at the end of the alphabet a better chance of winning some of these elections.