Ballot

Supporters of Libertarian Party gubernatorial candidate Spear Lancaster delivered 35,600 petition signatures to the Maryland State Board of Elections yesterday in an effort to place the first minor-party candidate on the ballot for the state's top job since 1966. To appear on the ballot, state law requires independent and third-party candidates to collect valid signatures from 1 percent of the state's registered voters. About 2.7 million Maryland residents are registered as voters, meaning Lancaster needs about 27,000 valid signatures.

Gov. William Donald Schaefer yesterday called on Ross Perot to remove his name from Maryland's presidential ballot "in fairness" to his volunteers and so that voters here can focus on the remaining candidates for president in November."

Orioles center fielder Mike Devereaux finished seventh in yesterday's American League Most Valuable Player voting with one second-place and three third-place votes and was delighted to be among such distinguished company."

Anita Nall, a Towson High sophomore who set an American record in the 200-meter breaststroke, is one of 16 listed on the ballot for U.S. Swimmer of the Year.Nall, who competes for the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, broke the record by 2 1/2 seconds with her time of 2:27.08 in the U.S. Spring Nationals in Seattle. She thus qualified for the Pan Pacific Championships last month in Edmonton, Canada, where she finished second in the consolation round, turning in a time of 2:31.10.The other Marylander named on the ballot is Mike Barrowman of Potomac, world record-holder in the men's 200-meter breaststroke.

A supporter for local NAACP presidential candidate Larry Young said yesterday the election committee had "hijacked the process" by leaving the former state senator's name off the ballot Tuesday. C. Patrick Blake, a Young supporter, also called "totally erroneous" the finding that some of the people who had signed Young's nominating papers were ineligible to do so because they were not members in good standing. "The people who signed are current officers of the Baltimore City branch," said Blake.

Former state Sen. Larry Young's name will appear on the ballot next Thursday as a candidate for president of the Baltimore branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Nelson Rivers, the organization's national field director, said last night. Young is challenging incumbent G. I. Johnson for the post. The Nov. 21 election was overturned by Rivers because Young's name was missing from the ballot. Johnson has said Young's name was not on the ballot because he was disqualified by the local nominating committee.

Isaac Opalinsky collected more than twice the number of signatures required to run for the Annapolis city council. He began holding campaign receptions, collecting money, turning in finance reports. Now the man who would be the first Green Party candidate to run in a local Maryland election has been told he won't be Green on the ballot after all. City election officials have told Opalinsky that a reading of city law shows that his party affiliation must be kept off the ballot. Instead, he would be listed under the heading "other candidates."

BOSTON -- Secretary of State Michael J. Connolly has reversed his December decision to exclude former Ku Klux Klansman David Duke from the Massachusetts Republican presidential primary ballot.Mr. Connolly said that the threat of a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union left him no choice but to award Mr. Duke a ballot spot."As much as I find this distasteful . . . given the legal maneuverings that have gone on, he will have a place on the ballot," Mr. Connolly said Friday.Marc Ellis, a spokesman for Mr. Duke's campaign, said that as a result, Mr. Duke would come to Massachusetts in February to campaign.

ANNAPOLIS -- A technicality in Maryland law could help Gov. William Donald Schaefer in his effort to get Ross Perot off the ballot in November.The law requires that a presidential candidate be listed on the ballot with his or her running mate.Mr. Perot must notify the state elections board of his choice of a running mate by Aug. 25, said Jack Schwartz, chief counsel for opinions in the attorney general's office."If he doesn't notify us, then his name will not appear on the ballot," Mr. Schwartz said.

Supporters of imprisoned Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr. have delivered signatures to the state Administrative Board of Election Laws petitioning for his inclusion on Maryland's March 3 presidential primary ballot.LaRouche spokeswoman Debra Hanania-Freeman of Baltimore said the petition campaign resulted from the refusal of Maryland's secretary of state, Winfield M. Kelly Jr., to include the candidate on the ballot -- which she claimed was "an abuse of power."Under Maryland law, the secretary of state decides on the basis of news media recognition whether a candidate's name should appear on the presidential primary ballot.