Sept. 26, 2026 7 AM PT

To the editor: Like the respondents in the recent Public Policy Institute of California poll, I have become increasingly disillusioned with the plethora of propositions on our state’s general election ballots (“California voters deeply frustrated by length of November ballot, state and nation’s direction,” Sept. 15). More and more, these propositions often concern complex issues, like tax or land use policies, that cover multiple pages of text that the average voter has neither the competency nor time to fully assess. As a result, voting decisions on propositions are often principally influenced by which side can fund the best or simply the most television commercials.

We find ourselves confronting this dilemma because the California initiative process has become the favored tool of special interests that, failing to get their way in Sacramento or simply deciding to bypass that path completely, turn to hiring an army of paid signature-gatherers, who camp outside your local Walmart or other favorite store. There, they chase you down as you attempt to enter or leave, often seeking your signature using a catchy but sometimes incomplete or even misleading headline for a particular measure.

There is, however, a simple solution to the problem: When confronted in this fashion, simply wave off the paid signature-gatherer and say, “No thank you.” That’s what I do.

Russ Swartz, Granada Hills

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To the editor: Voters really needn’t be frustrated by the length of the November ballot.

There is no requirement for any voter to cast a vote for every office and every ballot proposition. You can vote for the candidates you want, and for or against the ballot propositions on which you have a clear preference. Where you are unsure, you can skip over and go on to the next office or issue. Your ballot is not thrown out if there are blanks.

And it’s better to leave a blank than vote for something or someone that you would have opposed if you were more informed.

So, I’d suggest voting where you’re sure of your choice, and skipping over where you’re not.

Bill Seckler, Riverside