Obviously, you should feel free to blame those “local Democratic operatives.” Why? Because they never learn. (Keep reading.)
And yes, you should feel free to blame Brenda Snipes, Ph. D., Supervisor of Elections in Broward County. She has been in charge there since 2003; and in the ensuing years has allowed (overseen? ignored?) a number of awful ballot designs, some of which have even sparked lawsuits.
As for the ballot now in question: it specifically violates guidelines you might expect an experienced “Supervisor of Elections” to know about. Well, not Dr. Snipes, apparently.
Here’s the relevant excerpt:
That’s from “Effective Designs for the Administration of Federal Elections,” published by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (June, 2007).
And yet, here we are, year after year, stuck with incompetence.
Florida, thy name is mud.