If your name starts with ‘H’ and it’s on the March primary ballot, you’re in luck: you might just get a little boost because of it. The order of candidates on the ballot is controversial and by state law it’s determined randomly. This year, we’re going in alphabetical order, starting with the letter H.

This isn’t a meaningless exercise. Studies have shown that candidates listed first tend to perform better. Voters are even lazier than we think they are; they go to the first name listed and tend to stay there, especially if they don’t know anything about the race.

So, who might benefit from these low-information voters come March? Let’s check out the ballot order for some of the most competitive races:

U.S. Senate – R primary
Larry Holmquist
Paul Wright
Richard Burr
Greg Brannon

U.S. Senate – D primary
Ernest Reeves
Chris Rey
Deborah Ross
Kevin Griffin

U.S. House 2nd District – R primary
Frank Roche
Kay Daly
Tim D’Annunzio
Jim Duncan
Renee Ellmers

U.S. House 3rd District – R primary
Walter Jones
Phil Law
Taylor Griffin

So, how likely are these races likely to be determined by ballot order? Answer: not likely at all. Ballot order will probably be decisive only in a handful of non-competitive races where nobody knows the candidates. But if Renee Ellmers ends up with 39.7% of the vote in her primary and goes to a competitive runoff, she might have her name appearing last to thank.

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