WV - All Online Sample Ballots have Republicans Listed First!

Perhaps someone could explain something to me: Why do all of West Virginia's online sample ballots list Republican candidates first in every race? Let me explain, I went online today in order to verify my choices of candidates for this upcoming election. When I went to the West Virginia Secretary of State's sample ballots page, I found that every race on my county's various sample ballots always listed Republican candidates first. Let me show you and example.

First, take a look at the first page of an Ohio County (WV) sample ballot

Notice that the Republican party appears first in the straight ticket listing, the race for US Senator, and the race for the US House, WV-01. This order occurs for every race listed on the Ohio County sample ballot for all precincts.

Moreover, when no Republican candidate is filed for the office, a "no candidate filed" box is still listed first. Here is another example from the Ohio County Commissioners race:

Democrat Tim McCormick is listed between two no candidates. The Mountain Party is listed in every race, too, which is quite unlike previous ballots.

Finally, it should be noted that this Republican-first occurance happens on EVERY WEST VIRGINIA SAMPLE BALLOT listed at the West Virginia Secretary of State's website. If I were Nick Casey, I'd be doing something about it.

Now, I will give Betty Ireland (the Republican Secretary of State) the benefit of the doubt on this one. Perhaps a fair decision (such as a coin toss) was made and determined that Republicans be listed first. I'm really not sure, but someone else should find this very peculiar.

•  Give a Repub Sec of State the benefit of doubt???

  Where the fuck have you been?   Jeez.

  Excellent diary!  Excellent issue!

  by Dustbowl Observer on Sat Oct 21, 2006 at 03:28:34 PM PDT

•  It is because Bush won....

  according to the Charleston Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.com/... and because we have electronic ballots with no more side by side option.   People are annoyed, but it is the code.  

  Other ballot complains will not be addressed either.

  I agree it sucks, but it is not a conspiracy.  We need to campaign hard for the Dems in 2008.

  by murrayewv on Sat Oct 21, 2006 at 03:33:21 PM PDT

  •  God forbid...

    God forbid each individual county or each individual race has a lottery/coin-toss to determine a given candidate's placement on the ballot.

    by mph2005 on Sat Oct 21, 2006 at 04:12:00 PM PDT

  •  the pro-democracy choice would be to give the

    loser the top slot - but that would be assuming that they want to foster democracy.

    by Wee Mama on Sat Oct 21, 2006 at 05:24:28 PM PDT

  •  most states do that, I think

    In Washington, whichever major party got the most votes for the highest office on the previous ballot is listed first, followed by other major parties in descending vote-count order (at present, only D and R are major, though L has been in the past ... it takes 5% in the previous election to attain that status), followed by other candidates in a random order.  

    That ordering applies only to partisan races.  In nonpartisan races, the order is randomly ordered, though it's the same on each county's ballot.  Thus, for our one remaining contested Supreme Court, every ballot in every county lists incumbent Justice Susan Owens first, her wingnut opponent second, because that's how the coin-flip turned out.  Conversely, incumbent Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark is listed second on the ballot.

    by N in Seattle on Sat Oct 21, 2006 at 05:36:26 PM PDT

•  Cuyahoga County, Ohio

  I noticed a similar pattern on my absentee ballot and sat there and read it very carefully 3 or 4 times more.

  I finally realized that each race listed the candidates alphabetically.  

  I'm guessing it's the same in all Ohio counties.  But, the powers that be in each BoE deserve a doofus rating.  Cuyahoga county (Cleveland, Chagrin Falls, Moreland Hills, Berea) had to remail several thousand absentee ballots because there were several incorrect party affiliations on the original document.  Now it's popping up in Summit County (Akron, Youngstown, Canton.)

  I wrote a lot of material for general consumption in our university system.  It was always easy to find a competent grad student to do my proofreading.  I am going to suggest to Jennifer Brunner, our new SoS, that a more reliable system of document publication be put in place.

  by Ninepatch on Sat Oct 21, 2006 at 04:56:03 PM PDT

•  I have been told in Missouri....

  The GOP is first on the ballot because Gov. Matt "baby Roy" Blunt is Republican.
  The listing is decided by the party affiliation of the Governor.

  by cyncynical on Sat Oct 21, 2006 at 04:56:23 PM PDT

•  Straight Ticket

  I'd never get that far down the page because for only the 2nd time in my life, I will be voting straight ticket.

  And having a Republican Sec. of State worries me greatly. I think there may have been some oddities in the 2004 primary because the Dem. candidate for Sec. of State that would be easiest to beat was the one who won. Hmmmmmm. My tinfoil hat is getting worn out.

  by WV Democrat on Sat Oct 21, 2006 at 05:56:37 PM PDT