WASHINGTON - Even John Q. Public knows the middle initial of losing presidential candidate John F. Kerry. But New York's 31 electoral college votes are currently on the books for some guy named John L. Kerry.

State officials acknowledged the mistake Tuesday after the official "certificate of vote" appeared on the Web site of the National Archives.

The document was sent to officials and archivists in Washington and Albany, N.Y., as well as to Columbia University in New York, before the error was spotted.

"The ballots were correct, but for some reason with this document when it was typed up, nobody caught it in the proofing, including myself," said Peter Constantakes, spokesman for the New York Department of State.

The state is now rushing corrected copies to those who received the document, he said.

Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry carried New York as the Democratic nominee for president, but lost the nationwide election to President Bush.

On the Net:

National Archives and Records Administration: http://www.archives.gov