Eraser, stat! Demi Moore, Patrick Schwarzenegger and more stars accidentally registered as members of the American Independent Party, the Associated Press confirms.
The mix-up, which affected tens of thousands of voters in California, was revealed during a recent telephone survey. Apparently, three out of four people were confused over the word "independent" on the registration form. Presumably, the voters thought that they were registering as independent. In California, however, voters who don't want to be affiliated with a party can check "no party preference."
According to the Los Angeles Times, the American Independent Party opposes same-sex marriage and abortions. The minor political group also supports the idea of building a fence along the United States border.
Moore's representative released a statement following the news. "Demi Moore is not, nor has ever been, a member of the American Independent Party," the statement said, via the L.A. Times. A family spokesperson for Schwarzenegger also said that the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver plans to change his mistake.
Checking off the wrong box can't be easily fixed, though. Per the L.A. Times, it could prevent voters from participating in the final presidential primary on June 7.
Needless to say, many who were confused by the ballots are upset. "I think the name should be something different. Right now, it’s misleading," Santa Cruz County registrar Gail Pellerin told the L.A. Times. "I had a voter totally break down and cry in my lobby. The poor thing just sobbed. It's very frustrating."
The party's chairman, Aliso Viejo resident Mark Seidenberg, has also spoken out. "I’m just sorry that people get confused," he said. "A lot of people just don’t understand what they’re doing when they fill out a form."
