In one race, it could be Oh Bus Horse vs. Sticky Rice or Virtue Soup. In another match-up, people will likely put their money on Rainbow Farmer.
Sound like the Kentucky Derby? Not exactly. It's what voter ballots in Boston could look like in 2008. Under a 2005 agreement, the federal government required Boston to translate election ballots -- including the candidates' names -- into Chinese characters in precincts with prominent Chinese-speaking populations.
Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin is challenging the requirement, saying he supports translating the ballot instructions, just not the candidates' actual names.
Oh, and which candidate goes with which translation?
Mitt Romney = "Sticky or Uncooked Rice"
Fred Thompson = "Virtue Soup"
Barack Obama = "Oh Bus Horse"
Boston Mayor Tom Menino = "Rainbow farmer"
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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