The Danger of Uninformed Voters

I usually find myself in agreement with most of your editorial positions, but I must take issue with your “A Vote Against April Elections” editorial (April 13). Too much worrying about the amount of voter turnout and not enough concern about the quality of candidates elected is really counterproductive. When helping with a voter registration drive, I found too many people who my group signed up didn’t really know much about what was going on or that there even was a primary election due. If they are that ignorant, then I’m not sure I want them to vote.

Your editorial urged that more Orange County communities change their election schedules to coincide with the state and federal contests in November so as to “provide a more representative expression of public opinion.” I admit that a 14% turnout as La Habra had last week is abominable and indeed a poor reflection on those people in that city who don’t evidently care what happens to their tax dollars. But changing the date to November when more people vote isn’t the answer either. It is more likely that there will simply be a larger number of people who will cast uninformed ballots enabling candidates to win who either spend more money on saturation advertising, are members of fringe groups such as the LaRouchies, or are perhaps the beneficiaries of Los Angeles Times’ endorsements, which often are influential in molding the opinions of otherwise blind voters.

Here in Newport Beach, although I voted against it, we did make such a change a couple of years ago. With our city elections overshadowed by national and state concerns, our council candidates get lost in the shuffle; the incumbents or candidates of the large corporations (read Irvine) have the advantage, and the future of our city is then in the hands of those groups more distant and less responsive to the real needs of Newport Beach.

I wonder if perhaps this is what The Los Angeles Times would like to see happen throughout Orange County.

LENARD E. DAVIS

Newport Beach