Oops. Schwarzenegger jumps the gun

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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the chief supporter of changing California’s primaries to a “top two” system, apparently jumped the gun as he cast his ballot in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.

Schwarzenegger accidentally picked two Republicans in the U.S. Senate race. A poll worker pointed out his mistake, and the governor was given the choice of not having his Senate choice count or filling out a new ballot. He chose the latter, said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear.

Among the ballot measures voters will decide Tuesday is Proposition 14, which would put all candidates on the same primary ballot, with the top two finishers in each office, regardless of party, facing each other in the November general election. Schwarzenegger is a strong supporter of the measure; he helped raise more than $4 million for the ‘yes on 14’ campaign.

McLear declined to say which two Republican candidates for the Senate seat Schwarzenegger voted for on his first ballot.

-- Jack Dolan in Sacramento