Professor Daniel Ho, an expert on election law, is quoted on the effect of ballot name placement on an election’s outcome. Megan Luther of the Argus Leader reports:

Candidate names were drawn Tuesday to determine
the order in which they will appear on the ballot,
with mayoral candidate Bill Peterson winning the
coveted top position.

“It’s my lucky day,” Peterson said, adding, “I believe
in hard work more than good luck.”

The luck of the draw has its advantages. Political
scientists have been studying name placement on
ballots for decades with the conclusion that the top
spot holds a slight advantage.

Stanford Law School Professor Daniel Ho studied
California elections for 30 years and found that the
first name listed in statewide races had a 2
percentage point advantage.

“In nonpartisan races there are an appreciable effect
in general races,” he said.

…

Government officials can decrease the “ballot effect”
by having more randomization, Ho said. Some states
with electronic voting machines have a randomly
chosen order for each voter.