The SoS picks letters at random for the order in which candidates will go, and that's how they're ordered in the 1st district (can't remember if it's by House or Assembly district). Then, the names are circulated in then next district so if there were 6 candidates, Candidate 1 becomes Candidate 6, Candidate 2 becomes Candidate 1, etc. Repeat for every district in the state. When Lawrence O'Donnell was reading his California ballot last night, I noticed that the order of names for presidential candidates on his was different than on mine.

And yes, the reason it's done this way is because people who are not well-informed do tend to vote for the first name on the list.

Yay for California!

the alphabet is randomized anew for each ballot. Changing your name to Aaron Aardvark may or may not work.

I was going to try that and run for something, anything! LOL

Our state lists Republican candidates in the first column, Libertarian & Constitution/Other Parties
combined together in the second column, Democratic candidates third with a fourth column available
for write-in candidates. This has always been, by my memory, how the parties have been listed.

are shoved off to the side? I'm surprised the write in column didn't come before the Dems.