Opinion: Ballot order: I before E?

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You were always called on last in history class because the teacher went in alphabetical order and your last name is Zyx. Not fair. You didn’t even think of running for class president because the ballot, too, went in alphabetical order.

Well, no fear: In California, candidates’ names are ordered by random alphabet drawing. They take this stuff seriously; see for yourself in Elections Code Sec. 13112. There are slips of paper, and capsules, and witnesses from the public and the media.

Yesterday Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s office conducted the drawing for the June 3 election and, if you accept the theory that you’ve got a better shot if you’re listed higher on the ballot, there’s good news for any candidate whose name starts with H: You’re on top. See for yourself. That works out nicely for Laurette Healey, who is running in the Democratic primary to succeed Lloyd Levine as Assembly member in the 40th district, in the West San Fernando Valley. Dan McCrory gets listed before Bob Blumenfeld. And pity Stuart Waldman, who got stuck near the end of the alphabet his whole life and now gets pushed even further back, with all the other Ws.

As for you, Mr. or Ms. Zyx, you’re still at the end: Z was drawn last. Sorry. I’d give you the full ballot order, but that would be taking all the fun for myself.

Keep up to date on the June 3 stealth election -- and the November election besides -- at http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/elections/.