When 80th Assembly candidates Manuel Perez and Gary Jeandron were at The Desert Sun last week seeking the newspaper's endorsement, we anticipated a duel.

And that's just what we got: A challenge to duel with the pens and viewpoints.

It started when Perez, the Democrat in the closely watched race, was discussing Jeandron's no tax pledge. Perez offered instead to sign a “no borrowing pledge” and challenged the Republican to join him.

Jeandron's response?

“I can go along with that. I'm there with you. You want to come across, and would you sign a no tax pledge?” the former Palm Springs police chief said. “I've never heard of the ‘no borrowing pledge.' I will look at that.”

Perez, a Coachella Valley Unified board member, never officially agreed to sign the no-tax pledge (which is at the center of his attack ads on Jeandron).

“The reality is how are we going to balance the budget?” asked Perez, who said he also doesn't want more taxes.

“It's either one or the other or a little bit of both.”

“It's with cost-constraint,” Jeandron replied. “That's how we do it.”

Registrar forced to resend some ballots

The Registrar of Voters experienced the first goof of the election season last week when, on at least two occasions, voters received a mismatched ballot.

“As early as it was in the process, it's a Godsend,” said Wayne Beckham, chief deputy Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

“We don't want (voters) to find out the day before the election.”

The Riverside County Registrar's office sent out about 313 different ballot types countywide this election, necessitated because of the varying local elections. Officials do not know how many sample ballots were affected, but believe the error was an isolated event.

Sandra Dutcher and her husband, of Nuevo, received sample ballots for Hemet.

Normally, the couple would have waited to open the sample ballot, but wanted to look at the propositions, opened their packet and discovered the goof.

“I worried that this is going out in the county and will be confusing to people,” Dutcher said. “How much care they use with this whole process is, I think, the issue.”

About 550 voters in Nuevo were supposed to receive notice of the manufacture's snafu last week, election officials said.

“It would be easy to say these are the only two,” Beckham said. “We didn't want to take that chance.”

Answering tough questions

Speaking of ballots, early voting starts today.

Vote-by-mail ballots are out and ballot drop-off locations are positioned throughout the county.

Still not sure who to vote for?

The largest bipartisan event on the calendar so far is Tuesday, when the All Valley Legislative Coalition and the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership are hosting a candidate forum for the three state races and the 45th congressional campaign.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Rancho Mirage Public Library, 71-100 Highway 111.

Officials are anticipating a large crowd and, as an added incentive, your favorite Political Insider columnist is one of the panelists.

Sign wars?

With less than a month before the big election, election signs are popping up across the Coachella Valley.

But the “No on 8” supporters last week reported someone is drawing “Yes on 8” in marker on their signs in the Ruth Hardy Park neighborhood.

“Be vigilant,” Desert Stonewall Democrats president George Zander wrote in an e-mail titled “Sign Wars Chapter One.”

In case you've lost track of all the propositions, Proposition 8 is the same-sex marriage measure on November's ballot.

The No on 8 group is trying to track all instances to see just how widespread this sign war might be.

Good timing

Lady luck seems to be on Donald Griffith's side this week.

The Palm Desert-based attorney — appointed to a vacancy on the Desert Sands Unified board earlier this year and running for the seat this fall — is getting installed as the president of the Desert Bar Association tonight in Indian Wells.

But this also just happens to be the year that the California Supreme Court's annual special session is being held in the Coachella Valley.

It's not often that the state's top justices can attend your installation.

The private reception will be held at the IW Club, and the court will be in town through Wednesday.

The Cathedral City Police and Fire Managers Association is backing Cathedral City Councilman Greg Pettis in his reelection campaign.

The Republican Party of Riverside County is backing Douglas Hanson for Indian Wells City Council.

Palm Springs Unified school board candidate Richard Clapp will have a meet-the-candidate event Tuesday. The event starts at 5 p.m. at Black Angus Restaurant, 69-640 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. Information: 831-0053

Tahseen “Tee” Ahmed, a Cathedral City mayoral candidate, will have a public meeting on Tuesday to listen to voter concerns. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at the La Palapa Taco Shop, 28-401 Date Palm Drive.

Palm Desert council candidate Susan Marie Weber will have a meet-the-candidate event Thursday. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at Desert Falls Country Club, 1111 Desert Falls Parkway. Information: 340-2213

Weber is holding similar events at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday mornings at Buzz Cafe, 73-647 Highway 111, and from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday mornings at HomeTown Buffet, 72-513 Highway 111. The Saturday meetings costs $10.

Jeandron will have a fundraiser at 6 p.m. Thursday at Gibson's Hulsienda House in El Centro. Tickets are $125 per person and benefit the Republican's 80th Assembly campaign. Information: 353-3451

Sen. Barbara Boxer will attend a Saturday fundraiser for Julie Bornstein, the Democratic challenger in the 45th congressional race. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Sun City Palm Desert clubhouse. Admission is $45. Information: dwdrsvp@gmail.com

Citizens for Yes on Measure L is sponsoring a spaghetti dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Nicolino's Restaurant, 35-325 Date Palm Drive. Dinner is $10 and benefits the effort to pass the utility tax measure. Information: 409-8728

A “celebration of service” will be held Sunday to honor Sen. Jim Battin, who is leaving the Legislature after 14 years of service. Tickets to the invitation event start at $75 per person and benefit Shelter from the Storm.

Nicole C. Brambila contributed to this column.