Butterfly Ballot a Cinch For Georgia Second-Graders

Friday, November 10, 2000 LEESBURG, Ga. — That so-called “butterfly ballot” may have been confusing to the grown-ups in Florida, but some second-graders here made it look like child’s play. School psychologist Ron McGee asked the 8-year-olds at Lee County Elementary to vote for their favorite Disney character, using a ballot similar to the one that has caused controversy in Florida’s Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County ballot listed candidates in two columns, with a space down the center where the voter could mark his or her choice. Hundreds of angry Palm Beach voters have said the format was so confusing they mistakenly voted for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan instead of Al Gore. But McGee said not one of his 74 young voters marked a choice they did not intend to mark on the ballot, which instructed them only to “Check the box for the one you choose.” “No other directions were given and questions were not answered by teachers,” McGee said. McGee’s ballot was on one page instead of two, with no split or line down the middle like the Palm Beach ballot. McGee’s ballot also had large arrows pointing from the name of the character to the corresponding box. The Palm Beach ballot arrows were smaller. McGee said the vote was not intended to make a political statement, but simply to test how youngsters would interpret such a ballot. After the ballots were collected, they were checked by asking each pupil to verify his or her vote. According to McGee, 71 of the youngsters marked the appropriate space, and three circled their answers instead of checking or filling in the appropriate box. Mickey Mouse and Goofy tied for the top spot.