If you’re like me, you’ve been besieged with “weight loss” and “stay slim” emails in your “spam” email box.

Well, perhaps California elections officials need to pay closer attention to these recommendations, because the California ballot is bursting at the seams. I think the Doctor of Democracy might recommend a crash diet!

We blogged on the first problem with these weighty ballots a few days ago–the normal 37 cent postage stamp won’t be enough. Elections officials have pooh-poohed the costs of returning a ballot, but when it climbs to 75 cents or even a dollar, will this dissuade some voters (and what kind of voters? Those of more marginal means?).

Printing costs are not a minor detail, either. Alameda County spent 1.5 million in the primary, and estimates “substantially higher” costs this time around. Costs are only increasing, as state law requires multilingual voter’s guides.

And how long is the actual ballot? The story quoted below reports a length of 100 to 124 pages . Hey, Professor Alvarez, can this really be true? A ballot longer than the news, sports, and metro section of the LA Times?

When citizens start comparing voting to “doing your taxes,” you know we have a serious problem on our hands.

The Governor of California is a big advocate of physical fitness. Maybe if re-elected, Arnold can take on the bloated California ballot.

Story quoted is here: San Jose Mercury News