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We have received several e-mails and Facebook messages regarding the order of the name of the presidential candidates on the November 6 ballot. Some early voters have told us they were surprised to find the names were not listed in alphabetical order. In fact, two viewers went as far as to say this was a violation of state law and quoted the following statute:

"In Presidential election years, beneath the line shall be printed, in boldface capital letters, 'FOR PRESIDENT'. (Vice presidential candidates, if any, do not appear on the primary ballot.) Names of presidential candidates, as certified by the secretary of state, shall be listed in alphabetical order under the boldface, capitalized instruction '(VOTE FOR ONE)'. A designated voting area followed by the capitalized words 'NO PREFERENCE' shall be printed beneath the name of the last candidate. A blank write-in space shall then follow, with a line below it extending the width of the column."

This statute is indeed on the books, but it is on the books in Montana. Louisiana Revised Statute 18, Section 1259, Part 6 states the candidates of "recognized political parties" be listed first and in alphabetical order by party. The candidates of non-recognized parties are listed below those candidates in alphabetical order by party. The Secretary of State's Office currently recognizes (in alphabetical order) the Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Reform, and Republican Parties. This means the presidential ballot in Louisiana will look like this:

Barack Obama, Joe Biden (Democratic)
Jill Stein, Cheri Honkala (Green)
Gary Johnson, James P. Gray (Libertarian)
Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan (Republican)
Virgil Goode, James Clymer (Constitution)
Ross Anderson, Luis Rodriguez (Justice)
Jack Fellure, Toby Davis (Prohibition)
Peta Lindsay, Yari Osorio (Socialism and Liberation)
Jerry White, Phyllis Scherrer (Socialist Equality)
James Harris, Alyson Kennedy (Socialist Workers)
Sheila Tittle, Matthew Turner (We the People)

For a look at the full Louisiana presidential ballot law, click here.