Historic run-on sentence brightens up Yolo County Voter Information Guide

Proofreading county election materials is a migraine-inducing experience

Country legend Glen Campbell may have been "A Lineman for the County," but he was never the much more difficult "Proofreader for the County" as I have been.

And I don't even have a sweet song to sing about my experience.

A few years ago the folks running the show at the County of Yolo asked me if I'd like to join a small team of sharp-eyed editors charged with proofreading sample ballots and other election-related material sent out to voters and potential voters, along with some internal documents outlining the duties and procedures involved in being a poll worker.

I considered it my patriotic duty to say "Yes," even though I'd rather be watching Lawrence Welk reruns than fixing my weary eyes on page after page of legal jargon concerning how many people can accompany a voter to the polls. (The answer is two.)

All of this work is necessary, of course, and over the years I have come to realize that Yolo County is a model for the rest of the state in how to run a fair and efficient election. No thanks to me, however.

The only disappointment for me in this arduous task is the prohibition on proofreading any of the ballot arguments or candidate statements that have been submitted for publication. Indeed, these statements must be run as submitted. No exceptions allowed, even for egregious errors, questionable "facts" or outright lies.

Thus, if someone running for the Yolo County Board of Supervisors wants to spell "Pewtah Creek" with a "w," so be it.

The logic behind this ironclad rule is that the candidate has had every opportunity to get things right, and if his or her words are edited for any reason, the county could be accused of meddling or even changing the meaning of those words.

So hands off.