Confusing Vote

The League of Women Voters, which does an admirable job of educating voters and encouraging them to go to the polls, certainly has its work cut out for it in Southampton Town this year. There are just six contests, but an usually large number of candidates - 30 - who will be distributed over seven lines on a ballot that bids fair to be as confusing as it is complex.

To begin with there are three horses for Town Supervisor, one a non-starter. Stacy Kaufman-Riveras, after being trounced last week in the Democratic primary, announced she would drop out of the race. It was too late, however, for her name to be stricken from the lineup. Ms. Kaufman-Riveras reckoned without her Preservation Party petitions, which were challenged by the Democrats but then declared valid by the Suffolk Board of Elections, putting her on the ballot whether she wants to be there or not. The lineup could change again between now and Nov. 4 if anyone else drops out, although the ballot itself is cast in stone.

Both the committed candidates for Supervisor - Vincent Cannuscio, the incumbent, and Arthur DiPietro, the challenger - are registered Republicans. Mr. DiPietro, however, will be running on the Democratic, Southampton, and Independence Party lines.

There are seven persons contesting two Town Board seats. Two are Republican-Conservative incumbents, two are Democrats with Southampton Party endorsement, two are Preservation Party candidates (one of whom has Independence Party backing), and the seventh is a Conservative who is running only on the Independence line.

Thirteen candidates are competing for five Trustee seats. The list of their party affiliations reads like the directions for assembling a 10-speed bike.

This horse race looks more like a steeplechase, which probably is good news for voters. Whoever said democracy was supposed to be neat?