LOS ANGELES : Council Places Own Measures First on Ballot

Voters faced with long ballots may start out with enthusiasm, but studies show they tire quickly. That means the higher on a ballot that a candidate or initiative appears, the more people likely to cast a vote on it.

With that principle in mind, Los Angeles City Council members Tuesday debated not the merits of the five measures that will appear on April’s ballot--but their order.

Councilman Mike Hernandez said the proposed order was purely political, designed to increase the chances of the council’s own measures. He proposed picking the order out of a hat--the same random process used to determine the order of candidates. But the majority of the council disagreed. A property tax increase to fund 1,000 new police officers will be first on the ballot. The council’s measure to limit their terms will be placed second--before a more restrictive initiative pushed by multimillionaire and mayoral candidate Richard Riordan.