This is the second time your coverage of election results is statistically and verbally horrendous. (The last time was the results of Proposition K.) I shrugged it off last fall but can no longer remain silent. Specifically, regarding your story “Barovsky, Stern swamp opposition,” the third column, Belmond writes that of the “9,011 registered voters, only 5,496 cast their votes, an approximate voter turnout of 33.2%.” Wrong! If 5,496 voters cast votes then the turnout would have been 61%. What she should have written was that 5,496 votes were cast, and with most voters choosing the allowable two candidates, the approximate voter turnout was 33.2%.
Belmond further writes that there were “1,699 absentee ballots.” Since each ballot allowed the voter to pick two of the candidates, that would make almost 3,400 votes, or over 60% of the total being cast by mail. I assume she meant 1,699 votes (not ballots) were cast by mail. If she were correct that would make a story in itself. (Headline – Majority of Malibu voters cast absentee ballots).
It’s obvious you edit the newspaper for grammar and spelling. In the future, please do not forget to edit for statistical work as well. You may think me picky, but it took me over a half hour to figure out what Belmond should have written. And I studied that table regarding the results of Proposition K for an hour without ever figuring that one out. Nothing added up. (I have a degree in economics – it’s not me).
Cathy Leow