Eligible Voters

Ballots were being tallied last night after members of the union representing Baltimore police officers voted to choose a president. Paul M. Blair Jr., president of the city's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, was challenged by Officers Scott Ripley and Dave Miller. At its headquarters in Hampden, union officials began counting ballots cast by current and retired police officers in the afternoon and had not announced a result by late last night.

If early voting numbers are any indication, the polls will be packed Tuesday on Election Day. By late Thursday afternoon, an estimated 6 percent of Harford's eligible voters had cast their ballot, leaving plenty of others left to vote on Election Day. Besides the presidential race, which typically draws a lot of voters, this year's election features a number of controversial statewide issues on the ballot. "I have no idea, but I would imagine that we'll have another large turnout on Tuesday.

MOSCOW -- The heavy pro-independence balloting in Estonia and Latvia on Sunday, in which "yes" votes outnumbered "no" votes 3-to-1, nonetheless would fall short of the margin required to secede from the U.S.S.R. under a law President Mikhail S. Gorbachev insists he will enforce.The law on secession, rushed through the Supreme Soviet last spring after Lithuania declared its independence, requires a pro-independence vote from two-thirds of all eligible voters in a republic to start a five-year secession process.

With a highly charged presidential election and several closely fought questions on the ballot, nearly twice as many Marylanders voted early this year than in 2010. And with long lines and waits at several early voting centers, lawmakers are talking about opening more in 2014. At the close of the polls Friday night, 430,573 Marylanders - 11.65 percent of eligible voters - had cast ballots through five days of early voting. That was nearly double the six-day standard of 219,601 set in the gubernatorial election of 2010, the state's first experience with early voting.

Washington. -- It is already obvious that the 1996 elections will determine how far this nation goes in wiping out the social programs that began during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt -- what Republicans call ''the welfare state.''As we lurch into the 21st century, these elections will determine the endurance and sweep of the ideas of men like House Speaker Newt Gingrich, or presidential candidates such as Bob Dole of Kansas or Pat Buchanan of nowhere.That is why the critical question is who will vote, who will go fishing on Election Day, and who will not even register and be eligible to cast ballots that influence the future.

The election of three Bel Air town commissioners will be held Tuesday with a crowded field of 11 candidates, including two incumbents.This is the second election in a row that has produced a large number of hopefuls for the four-year positions on the town board. Two years ago, seven candidates entered the race.All of this suggests a high level of civic awareness and involvement in the town of Bel Air, the Harford County seat. That's probably true in terms of public issues, although it is not reflected in voter turnout.

Ballots due Dec. 6 in local election for Farm Service Agency The Carroll County Farm Service Agency reminds farmers, ranchers and other eligible voters to cast ballots in the local county committee election before the Dec. 6 deadline. Ballots were mailed to eligible voters this month. Eligible producers who did not receive ballots should contact the local farm service agency office at 410-848-2780. Ballots must be returned to agency offices or postmarked by Dec. 6. All ballots will be counted publicly by Dec. 20. Elections may be challenged by nominees within 15 days after results are posted.

Today's mayoral election in Annapolis may hinge on how many voters go to the polls.That's the analysis of supporters of the three candidates, Democratic incumbent Alfred A. Hopkins, Republican Laurance Vincent and independent Dennis M. Callahan.All three candidates promise to have volunteers on the streets encouraging registered voters to cast ballots and providing transportation to those who need it."In the end, it will come down to who is the most organized and gets their people to polls," said a Hopkins campaign worker.

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court cleared the way yesterday for Arizona to enforce a new rule for next month's elections that requires voters to show proof of their identification before casting a ballot. In an unsigned and apparently unanimous opinion, the justices reversed a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that had blocked the Arizona law from taking effect this year. The justices stressed that they were not ruling on the still-pending constitutional challenge to the law. They also noted that the law includes some exceptions for eligible voters without photo identification.

A BILL that would raise national voter registration from 60 percent to 95 percent was passed by the House Tuesday, 268 to 153, with 28 Republicans joining the majority.The Senate passed an identical bill last month (61 to 38, with six Republicans in the majority).But the Office of Management and Budget has announced that "senior advisers would recommend a veto."Roughly 90 percent of eligible voters would be registered when they get or renew drivers' licenses, which is why the legislation is commonly called the "motor voter" bill.

Turnout remained strong Friday during the final day of early voting, with more long lines and waits at several centers. By 10 p.m., 425,565 Marylanders - more than 12 percent of eligible voters - had cast their ballots during early voting. That far exceeded the six-day standard of 219,601 set during the gubernatorial election of 2010, the state's first experience with early voting. Turnout Thursday was the strongest yet, with 97,750 casting their ballots.  Eying the lines, at least one state lawmaker said he would file legislation to expand the number of early voting centers for future elections.

Hurricane Sandy notwithstanding, it took Marylanders less than three days to establish a new record for early voting turnout. Somewhere in Maryland on Wednesday evening, the state's 219,802nd voter cast his or her ballot to push turnout past the mark set over six days in 2010, according to figures released Thursday by the State Board of Elections. By the time the polls closed at 9 p.m. Wednesday, 225,618 voters had cast ballots at one of the state's 46 early voting centers.

The State Board of Elections sent about 20,000 postcards that erroneously told registered voters they weren't registered, officials said Thursday. The mailings were part of an effort to increase voter turnout in the state, said Ross K. Goldstein, deputy administrator of the agency. State officials sent out 1.1 million mailings this fall telling eligible voters they needed to register, but about 2 percent of those postcards were mailed to citizens who were already registered to vote, he said.

Reports are that less than 12 percent of eligible voters and about 22 percent of registered voters participated in the Baltimore primary election ("Election draws lowest turnout in history," Sept. 14). What a disgrace to a city with so many crucial problems! Election returns indicate that we will end up with virtually the same City Council members. Continuity even goes to the next generation: Note Agnes Welch's son, Pete, is slated to carry on. The City Council, like any other organization, needs new blood and new energy to address the problems of loss of population, inadequate financial resources, the devastating effect of drugs, unmet needs of the city's youth, boarded up houses, the list could go on. We are in desperate need of new ideas and advocates for their adoption.

So this is what all the fuss was about? Maryland's first experience with early voting turned out to be an anticlimax on par with the U.S. invasion of Grenada. No problems at the 46 polling places, no signs of widespread fraud and not all that many voters either. Perhaps the most eventful moment of the six days came last week when early voting's newest disciple, former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., cast his ballot and urged others to vote early, too. As governor, Mr. Ehrlich described early voting an invitation to fraud, vetoed legislation authorizing it and then (after the General Assembly overrode his veto)

George W. Bush's domestic legacy will be a deeply conservative U.S. Supreme Court, one that has shown its impatience with efforts to redress lingering racial discrimination. It ruled against efforts in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle to keep schools racially balanced. Let's hope the Roberts court is more progressive in its views toward voting. The Supreme Court is the last bulwark against an invidious effort to disenfranchise poorer voters, many of them black and brown, through highly restrictive voter ID laws.

ANGRY AND EMBARRASSED over the election debacle of 2000, the newly chosen Congress vowed to make reforming the antiquated, 50-state patchwork system its first order of business. Now, it appears the election reform bill will be among the last items enacted as the 107th Congress stumbles to a messy close. A final vote of the Senate tomorrow and the expected signature of President Bush will establish federal standards intended to ensure that eligible voters will never again be turned away from the polls or have their votes voided because of confusing ballots.

Today's mayoral election in Annapolis may hinge on how many voters go to the polls.That's the analysis of supporters of the three candidates, Democratic incumbent Alfred A. Hopkins, Republican Laurance Vincent and independent Dennis M. Callahan.All three candidates promise to have volunteers on the streets encouraging registered voters to cast ballots and providing transportation to those who need it."In the end, it will come down to who is the most organized and gets their people to polls," said a Hopkins campaign worker.

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court cleared the way yesterday for Arizona to enforce a new rule for next month's elections that requires voters to show proof of their identification before casting a ballot. In an unsigned and apparently unanimous opinion, the justices reversed a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that had blocked the Arizona law from taking effect this year. The justices stressed that they were not ruling on the still-pending constitutional challenge to the law. They also noted that the law includes some exceptions for eligible voters without photo identification.

Ballots were being tallied last night after members of the union representing Baltimore police officers voted to choose a president. Paul M. Blair Jr., president of the city's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, was challenged by Officers Scott Ripley and Dave Miller. At its headquarters in Hampden, union officials began counting ballots cast by current and retired police officers in the afternoon and had not announced a result by late last night.