No Puzzles, Please, on the Ballot : L.A. County voters will face confusing numbering on propositions

If you’re a Los Angeles County voter and you’re puzzled by a part of the Nov. 8 ballot, don’t worry--you’re not alone. Because of a chance error, the numbers of yes/no punch holes are the same as the numbers of two important ballot propositions. Surely that will lead to some voter confusion.

The problem may be unique to Los Angeles County in this election. However, it conceivably could tip the vote on either of two controversial and--as we see it--misguided statewide ballot measures.

Proposition 187, for instance, would cut schooling, health and social services for illegal immigrants. Proposition 188, with strong tobacco company backing, seeks to overturn a tough and eminently sensible statewide workplace smoking ban.

Some groups are demanding that L.A. County reprint its ballots. The registrar, in addition to citing the huge cost that would entail, says there’s not enough time before the election.

County election officials will attempt to remedy the problem by posting notices explaining the ballot numbering at each of the county’s 6,104 polling places. Given the absence of alternatives at this point, that seems logical.

This embarrassing episode reveals flaws in the election process that should be addressed. Ten counties--including Alameda, San Diego and San Francisco--currently use a machine-readable single ballot card system similar to Los Angeles’. As proposition numbers continue sequentially, the odds increase that confusing numerical mix-ups could recur (the Nov. 8 ballot stops at Proposition 191; next election’s propositions would start with 192).

California’s secretary of state and county officials ought to look into ways to avoid the problem in the future, even if that means remodeling the balloting system.