Subject: Carmel City Council Ballot

March 21, 2008

Ms. Linda Tulett 
Monterey County Registrar of Voters
1370-B South Main Street
Salinas, Ca 93940

Dear Ms. Tulett,

The League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula is concerned about the wording of the ballot for the upcoming Carmel City Council Election.  The Carmel ballot instructions in English state:  "Vote for two."  The instructions for Spanish speaking voters state:  "Vote for no more than two."  We do not understand why the ballot instructions do not say the same thing.  As written in English there is a subtle encouragement from your office to vote for two candidates, when in fact a voter can maximize his/her vote by only voting for one candidate.  This nuanced instruction from your office suggests that no one should simply vote for one candidate, when voting for two can undermine the significance of a single vote. Fundamentally, the instruction should be "Vote for up to two."

Avoiding small but important oversights, builds confidence in election management of your office.  We look forward to working with you on procedures that further the integrity and transparency of the electoral process.

Sincerely,

Janet Brennan, President
LWV of the Monterey Peninsula