Ballot

Keith Russell Judd, better known as the federal inmate who scored 41 percent of the vote against President Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary, wanted to be on the ballot in Maryland, too. Without Judd in his path, Obama cruised to an 88 percent victory. Blame U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, who last year dismissed Judd's complaint against the Maryland State Board of Elections in which he alleged he was being wrongly kept on the ballot. Bennett referred to Judd, who is serving a 210-month sentence in a Texas federal prison for extortion, as a "prolific and vexatious litigant who has filed more than 748 cases in federal courts since 1997.

The Green and Libertarian parties are launching new petition drives to get their candidates for president and other offices on Maryland's November ballot after losing a battle before the state's highest court. The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled Monday that state elections officials were correct to disqualify thousands of signatures on petitions previously circulated by the two parties. Many signatures were thrown out as illegible or not consistent with the voter's official registration card.

I was saddened upon receiving my Baltimore County sample ballot. Having been on every ballot for the past 40 years, it is the least name-cluttered in memory. No real contest for governor, comptroller, attorney general, U.S. Senate and Congress, and the state legislature. Only two games in town - county executive and council. My contest, County Council, features an age range of mid-40's to mid-70's. Two retired lawyers, one retired businessman, one grandmother, and all with grown children and all having made their marks in life.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the nation's oldest civil rights organizations, is officially supporting marriage for same-sex couples. The 103-year-old organization's resolution may help garner support for gay marriage among Maryland's black voters, who according to polls have been less inclined than whites to support same-sex marriage. A Pew Research Center poll conducted in April showed 39 percent of African-Americans favor gay marriage, compared with 47 percent of whites.

A simple comparison Steve Gould Baltimore Sun All you need to do to know that Chipper Jones is a first-ballot Hall of Famer is compare his career statistics to those of other third basemen enshrined in Cooperstown. Let's start with traditional stats. His .304 average? In line with George Brett (.305) and George Kell (.306). His .402 on-base percentage? Second to Wade Boggs (.415). His 454 home runs? Only Mike Schmidt (548) and Eddie Mathews (512)

T his November, Marylanders will have a once-in-a-generation chance to shake up the political process. Yet few know about it, and even fewer are talking about it. Maryland's Constitution stipulates that, every 20 years, the General Assembly must place on the general election ballot a binding referendum asking voters whether they want to convene a constitutional convention. If it passes, it could be the most politically momentous event in Maryland during 2010. Since the U.S. was founded, states have convened more than 230 constitutional conventions, five of them in Maryland.

Et cetera Collins, Hardin on ballot for College Football Hall of Fame Former Maryland wide receiver Gary Collins is among 78 players and ex-Navy coach Wayne Hardin is among nine coaches on the 2011 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame. Collins was a 1961 consensus first-team All-America selection and was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick, recording 74 receptions for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns in three years. He punted 113 times for 4,205 yards.

Of the county's four ballot questions, only one -- Question D -- merits defeat. Its exact meaning can probably only be determined by a lawsuit, but its intended effect is to cap property taxes. Even if the measure passes, voters will save paltry amounts on their tax bills, while jeopardizing the level of county services they now enjoy. We urge a vote against Question D.

James Guest, president of Planned Parenthood of Maryland, laments the amount of money that will be spent on a drive to defeat the state's new abortion law, once abortion opponents succeed in gathering enough signatures to place the law on the ballot in November 1992. In a time of scarce resources it is regrettable that each side of this debate will probably spend more than a million dollars to carry its case to the electorate.Yet a referendum can be worth the money, and especially so in this case.

The Board of Regents in New York recently voted 12 to 3 to revise the state's history textbooks to give greater emphasis on minorities.However noble its intention, the act is another effort to shape learning by vote. We contend lately about content of high school and college courses not in terms of truth or falsity but of pressures. We settle ideological and scientific differences not by analysis, discussion and consensus but by counting our supporters.Using political clout to resolve disputes about education can only be pernicious.

They did what they had to do, and they went home. That's the best that can be said of the special session of the Maryland General Assembly that concluded today. The tax increases, spending cuts, fund transfers and other measures lawmakers approved in 21/2 days this week protect public education, health and public safety and put the state on a path to fiscal sustainability, all while requiring a relatively minimal additional contribution from taxpayers. After a chaotic end to the regular General Assembly session, order has been restored.

Keith Russell Judd, better known as the federal inmate who scored 41 percent of the vote against President Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary, wanted to be on the ballot in Maryland, too. Without Judd in his path, Obama cruised to an 88 percent victory. Blame U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, who last year dismissed Judd's complaint against the Maryland State Board of Elections in which he alleged he was being wrongly kept on the ballot. Bennett referred to Judd, who is serving a 210-month sentence in a Texas federal prison for extortion, as a "prolific and vexatious litigant who has filed more than 748 cases in federal courts since 1997.

Two Democratic candidates in Maryland's 1st Congressional District remained locked Thursday in a too-close-to-call contest for the party's nomination, after an initial tally of absentee ballots left them separated by fewer than 100 votes. In the only still-undecided race from Tuesday's statewide primary, Cockeysville businesswoman Wendy Rosen had an 86-vote lead over physician John LaFerla of Chestertown, out of more than 25,000 ballots cast. Rosen has declared victory, but LaFerla has said the race remains too close for him to concede.

Voter turnout for the presidential primary Tuesday was Maryland's lowest in at least 32 years. About 21 percent of registered voters cast a ballot Tuesday, according to early tallies from the Maryland Board of Elections. That figure does not include absentee and provisional ballots, which may push up the final total, but officials said turnout won't reach 25 percent. That is the previous record low — set in 1996 — in the 32 years for which statewide records are available. "Voters know when there's a real election and when there's not a real election," said John Willis, a political science professor at the University of Baltimore and former Maryland secretary of state.

The General Assembly on Monday night put the final touch on a measure that delays Baltimore's next local election by a year - aligning the city's voting cycle with the presidential schedule and allowing a one-time, five-year term for MayorStephanie Rawlings-Blakeand other city officials. Supporters said the measure, which moves the next citywide election to November 2016, could boost turnout and save money. The change will save the city $3.7 million because it won't have to run its own election, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Department of Legislative Services.

A simple comparison Steve Gould Baltimore Sun All you need to do to know that Chipper Jones is a first-ballot Hall of Famer is compare his career statistics to those of other third basemen enshrined in Cooperstown. Let's start with traditional stats. His .304 average? In line with George Brett (.305) and George Kell (.306). His .402 on-base percentage? Second to Wade Boggs (.415). His 454 home runs? Only Mike Schmidt (548) and Eddie Mathews (512)

Two local questions are on the ballot. We urge a vote for Question A, a charter amendment that would permit increasing Harford County's contingency reserves to the maximum allowed the charter. Question B should be defeated so that the land where the controversial Windsor Mall was to be built reverts back to its light-industrial zoning designation.

Registered voters who are unable to make it to the polls on Nov. 3 -- Election Day -- are eligible to vote by absentee ballot. Here's how to do it:* Non-emergency requests: Deadline for absentee ballot requests is Tuesday, Oct. 27. Applicants can either apply in person at the local elections board or send a letter to the board requesting a ballot. Due to time constraints, the letter is considered the application. The letter should contain the name and address of the registered voter, the address where the ballot should be mailed, and the reason why the voter will be unable to make it to the polls.

The debate over a state law that would provide college tuition discounts to some illegal immigrants shifted to an Annapolis courtroom Friday. Attorneys for the law's supporters told an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge that the Maryland Constitution bars a November referendum challenge. The law is about funding state government programs, and appropriations measures are not subject to referendum, they said. But those backing a petition drive calling for a referendum said the measure does not deal with funding.

Despite months of speculation that he would retire, Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett is instead gearing up for a tough re-election campaign that will be among the most closely watched in the nation. Bartlett, the 85-year-old incumbent who is seeking an 11th term in Congress, has stepped up fundraising, hired a political consultant who previously worked for conservative Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign and has cleared the field of two potential challengers, including a former top aide.