diff --git a/IFComp/lib/IFComp/Controller/Ballot.pm b/IFComp/lib/IFComp/Controller/Ballot.pm
index 24a9fc60..7fa89706 100644
--- a/IFComp/lib/IFComp/Controller/Ballot.pm
+++ b/IFComp/lib/IFComp/Controller/Ballot.pm
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ sub root :Chained('/') :PathPart('ballot') :CaptureArgs(0) {
         return;
     }
 
-    my $order_by;
+    my @entries;
     if ( $c->req->params->{ shuffle } ) {
         $c->stash->{ is_shuffled } = 1;
         my $seed = '';
@@ -44,25 +44,26 @@ sub root :Chained('/') :PathPart('ballot') :CaptureArgs(0) {
             $seed = $c->user->get_object->id;
             $c->stash->{ is_personalized } = 1;
         }
-        $order_by = "rand($seed)";
+        my $order_by = "rand($seed)";
+        @entries = $current_comp->entries(
+            {},
+            {
+                order_by => $order_by,
+            }
+        );
     }
     else {
-        $order_by = 'title asc';
+        @entries = sort { $a->sort_title cmp $b->sort_title }
+            $current_comp->entries();
     }
 
-    $c->stash->{ entries_rs } = $current_comp->entries(
-        {},
-        {
-            order_by => $order_by,
-        }
-    );
+    $c->stash->{ entries } = \@entries;
 
     my $user_is_author = 0;
     if ( $c->user && $c->user->get_object->current_comp_entries ) {
         $user_is_author = 1;
     }
     $c->stash->{ user_is_author } = $user_is_author;
-
 }
 
 sub index :Chained('root') :PathPart('') :Args(0) {
diff --git a/IFComp/lib/IFComp/Schema/Result/Entry.pm b/IFComp/lib/IFComp/Schema/Result/Entry.pm
index 190a12ce..fc817856 100644
--- a/IFComp/lib/IFComp/Schema/Result/Entry.pm
+++ b/IFComp/lib/IFComp/Schema/Result/Entry.pm
@@ -404,6 +404,14 @@ Readonly my @DEFAULT_INFORM_CONTENT => qw(
     index.html
 );
 
+has 'sort_title' => (
+    is => 'ro',
+    isa => 'Maybe[Str]',
+    lazy_build => 1,
+    clearer => 'clear_sort_title',
+    predicate => 'has_sort_title',
+);
+
 has 'directory' => (
     is => 'ro',
     isa => 'Path::Class::Dir',
@@ -571,10 +579,21 @@ around update => sub {
         }
     }
 
-    return $self->$orig( @_ );
+    if ( $self->is_column_changed( 'title' ) && $self->has_sort_title ) {
+        $self->clear_sort_title;
+    }
 
+    return $self->$orig( @_ );
 };
 
+sub _build_sort_title {
+    my $self = shift;
+    my $title = $self->title;
+    # for right now, just remove initial articles
+    $title =~ s/^(?:the|a|an) //i;
+    return $title;
+}
+
 sub _build_directory_name {
     my $self = shift;
 
diff --git a/IFComp/root/src/ballot/index.tt b/IFComp/root/src/ballot/index.tt
index d811c3b8..32f2ada4 100644
--- a/IFComp/root/src/ballot/index.tt
+++ b/IFComp/root/src/ballot/index.tt
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
     </p>
 [% END %]
 
-[% WHILE (entry = entries_rs.next) %]
+[% FOR entry IN entries %]
     [% IF entry.is_qualified %]
         <div class="well" id="entry-[% entry.id %]">
         [% INCLUDE _entry_title.tt include_permalink = 1 %]
diff --git a/IFComp/root/src/ballot/vote.tt b/IFComp/root/src/ballot/vote.tt
index 51084763..6c8254e5 100644
--- a/IFComp/root/src/ballot/vote.tt
+++ b/IFComp/root/src/ballot/vote.tt
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ We'd love to have you join us as a judge! It's as easy as logging in, creating a
 [% END %]
 
 <table class="table">
-[% WHILE (entry = entries_rs.next) %]
+[% FOR entry IN entries %]
 <tr>
     [% IF entry.is_qualified %]
     <td><strong><a href="/ballot#entry-[% entry.id %]">[% entry.title | html %]</a></strong> by [% INCLUDE author_name.tt %]</td>