Two Cents: What’s in a name?

The wording of an initiative has a direct impact on its success in an election. According to HealthVote.org, “Many voters lack the education, reading skills, or time to fully understand ballot initiatives.” When I recently received my Sample Ballot and Information Pamphlet for the November 8 Special Election, all I had time to read were the very simple, very brief descriptions of each proposition provided in the pamphlet. Few voters are going to take the time to read the full definitions, arguments, and rebuttals for each proposition. Many voters will vote on each initiative based on first impressions, when they read about it probably two minutes before they cast their vote.

Because of this lack of knowledge about an initiative, voters are often swayed to cast their vote based on the title of a proposition. On August 4, 2005, The Mellman Group released a survey about prospective Proposition 76 Poll Results. The survey found that in July, when the name of Prop 76 was “The School Funding. State Spending. Initiative Constitutional Amendment”, “Just 28 % of voters said they would vote yes on the initiative, while 39% said they would vote no, and 33% were undecided." When asked in August, when the new ballot label for Proposition 76 was “The State Spending and School Funding Limits. Initiative Constitutional Amendment”, “The new initiative wording has the support of just 28% of voters. […] Moreover, today a 51% majority oppose the initiative.”

Subliminal messages placed in initiative titles, such as adding the word “Limits” behind “School Funding” for Prop 76, often sway voters into casting their vote for or against an initiative. No book can be judged by its cover, just as no initiative can be judged by its title. Voters should not vote blindly and unfortunately they are sometimes tricked into voting for something they do not support, simply because the title of the initiative is misleading.

Try not to fall into this name trap when you go the polls on November 8.