In VA this year we had a relatively modest ballot: POTUS/Senate/House; 2 Constitutional Amendment questions; 3 (or was it 4) county bond issues. Our state office elections are next year, and local races are 2 years after that ... we have elections every single year, but no confusion between federal and/or state and/or local.
You’d have thought by the time taken for voters to cast their 11/6/12 ballots, that it went on for pages and pages. God forbid voters should look into the questions on the ballot before going to the voting booth and taking half an hour for what could be done in 2 minutes. Especially since they’ve been handed sample ballots by both parties and had PLENTY of time to read while waiting in line.
I grew up in Appomattox, VA and lived/worked in Lynchburg when I got out on my own.
Here in Ohio, we had POTUS, a senator, a congressman, state representatives, county officials, 3 levies, 2 state issues, and a bunch of judges to vote on. Typical for here.