To the editor:

In the Douglas County poll roster books, where every registered voter is listed in alphabetical order, there is a space after each name for: R — Republican, D — Democrat, L — Libertine, F — Reform, U — Unaffiliated, not, as Terry Tolar was mistakenly told, “undecided” (Public Forum, Aug. 11).

The state of Kansas does not recognize an Independent Party. Consequently, there is no “I” after any name. This is not a Douglas County clerk decision.

During a primary election there is a Republican and a Democratic ballot. This year, if you had a “U” after your name, you could choose to vote a Democratic ballot and remain unaffiliated or fill out a card to join either the Democratic or Republican party. You must declare an intention of voting Democratic or Republican to vote in a fall primary election. You cannot have two ballots.

If Mr. Tolar only wanted to check the ballot for “lowly publicized” issues, he could simply have looked at the sample ballot that should have been posted. He would not have had to give even his name.

Marilyn Posch,

Lawrence