One of my issues with the city of Memphis, Tennessee's gun control referendum appearing on the November ballot is that some people would probably get it twisted and think they were voting for gun control directly.

It was just one of my issues with it, to be sure, but it was an issue.

However, that could have been mitigated if the referendum had been worded correctly. Something short and sweet specifically asking if they wanted the state to pass gun control should have been clear enough for all but the most idiotic of voters.

They could have done that.

They didn't, apparently.

Early voting begins Wednesday in Tennessee, and we’re taking a closer look at a complicated ballot in Memphis, where voters will decide on a lengthy three-part gun control referendum.

...

“The length of the referendum pushed it into a two-page ballot, which creates enormous technical problems for us,” said Elections Administrator Linda Phillips. “We’re managing and we’ll get it done but it does create a very long ballot.”

...

The last referendum on the ballot, the one dealing with gun control, has three parts:

• The first asks if people should be allowed to carry handguns without a permit in Memphis.

• The second asks if possession and sale of assault weapons should be legal in Memphis

• The third asks voters to consider what’s called Red Flag laws.

You’ll have to vote either yes or no on all three questions.

And yet, it seems that if you read the whole thing, the last part will take 19 minutes to read.

Officials say they intend to hand out a one-sheet explanation of the questions so people can read them before getting in the booth, but this is beyond ridiculous.

What's more, I can't help but figure this will cause even more confusion, simply because anything that long has to be more than just a general question about what the voters who show up for this election want. It has to be a law.

Only, it's not.

This is honestly ridiculous on every level. The referendum itself is stupid because there's no reason for the rest of the state of Tennessee to bow and scrape because Memphis officials can't keep the peace in their own city.

Plus, even with the page they're saying they're going to hand out, I can't help but wonder what will be missed.

I mean, the page may have the full text of these referendum questions, but if it takes 19 minutes to read one part of it, I'm skeptical. Something may well be in the body of the actual referendum that many would object to, but because it wasn't on the sheet, they decide to vote yes.

And the fact that, based on this wording, you'll have to vote yes or no once but on all three questions means someone who might favor red flag laws but sees requiring a permit as a bridge too far will vote no, thus not even giving anyone a good idea of, well, anything.

All in all, this is the dumbest way to handle this that I've ever seen, which is saying something.