Voters

In Saturday's front page story showing (so far) six people seeking to become Baltimore's next mayor, your reporter quotes a citizen saying she did not know there was going to be an election this year ("Mayoral contenders plan summer of campaigning," June 4). There is a problem in today's society about elections: Citizens do not read the newspapers anymore and many skip the news on television, opting for goofy shows. The coming election will not be decided by honest, knowledgeable voters but by "know nothings" who year after year hold the balance of elective power in government, and the rest have to suffer for it. Richard L. Lelonek, Baltimore

Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy couldn't quite explain his sudden spike in the most-recent All-Star Game fan balloting, in which he became the leading votegetter among American League shortstops. Other than providing his usual exceptional defense, Hardy has been on an offensive tear, hitting .341 (44-for-129) with 10 doubles, 10 homers, 24 RBIs and 13 multi-hit games since May 4. He currently leads all AL shortstops in homers (13) and RBIs (39). “It just says that the fans are out there voting, people out in Baltimore,” Hardy said.

As a victim of previous gerrymandering schemes in the Washington suburbs, I can only say that politicians and politics are out of control not only in Maryland but nationwide. Are state legislators and the governor completely blind to ethics as they toy with voters' districts, to their detriment? My suggestion to those who have been gerrymandered without consultation is to express their views at the next election and throw out the perpetrators of this political farce. Nelson Marans, Silver Spring

So what was all this about a voter referendum or two? Opponents of a pair of controversial measures backed by Gov. Martin O'Malley and approved this year by the Maryland General Assembly - a repeal of the death penalty and landmark gun control legislation - claimed the local populace was outraged by both. So certain was this that many fully expected them to be brought to referendum and defeated by voters in 2014. The petition drive to bring the death penalty repeal to referendum was even championed by Western Maryland Del. Neil Parrott who was instrumental in bringing three laws to referendum last year through use of a web site that made the signature-gathering process easier.

Editor: I wanted to take an opportunity to provide some comments in summary of the recent Town of Bel Air election. First, I must express my gratitude once again to the voters of Bel Air. This campaign was yet another rewarding experience for me as a candidate. I always enjoy knocking on doors and hearing feedback from voters; this truly is a great town in which we live. I am pleased to see two outstanding incumbents remain in office and am delighted that a very well qualified challenger is joining the board.

Dan Rodricks ("Hoping for the best, not expecting much," Sept. 6) is wrong to describe the discouragement of the electorate instead of fighting it. He should use his column to fire up the voters to deliver a Congress that shows a democracy can work. Electing the Congress is, of course, the voters' responsibility. Let every voter go to town hall meetings, write letters and e-mails to their different candidates and press them mercilessly to review their records: Were their actions designed to solve problems or to show party solidarity?

The time is now for the voters of Baltimore County to wake up and do their homework. We have an opportunity to restore the County Council to a more balanced entity whereby the interests of the public are considered wisely. The suggestion in The Sun's editorial ("Buying influence?" Sept. 8) that voters can "find out who is bankrolling the candidates seeking to represent them" is good advice, but the voters can and should do much more than checking the campaign finance section of http://www.

Supporters say the measure will professionalize the so-called “Orphan's Court” which oversees estate disputes.

If one wants to find the root cause for our nation's problems, one has to look no further than the misinformed American voters. Alarms should be sounding to alert us that many voters — many voters — have no idea how this nation is run and only care about the numbers on their mailboxes. When I would ask my Democratic friends their opinions on what Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin said yesterday, the answer was unanimous: "I refuse to listen to that tripe!" Well then how do they know what is happening in the "street?"

I am somewhat bemused by the alleged anger of the American people, as reported in the media, over the recent events in Congress with respect to the debt ceiling and federal budget. Our representatives are being blamed for their behavior, but I think we are missing the point. If we are to be angry, it should be at ourselves. We chose them. We elected them. Why wouldn't they act the way they do? I do not accept the argument that we did not elect them to perform as they have. In the last election, the voters in Maryland's 1 s t Congressional District had the opportunity to re-elect a middle of the road congressman but chose instead a very conservative candidate.

The 2014 Maryland governor's race has been shaping up so far as a fight about inevitability. Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler long fostered the sense of his own lock on the job through a massive campaign war chest. Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown countered by becoming the first to officially enter the race, more than a year before the Democratic primary. Meanwhile, an assortment of potential Republican candidates and two other Democrats - Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and Del. Heather Mizeur - have been trying to make the case that an underdog could win. Now Mr. Brown is seeking to tilt the inevitability scales permanently in his favor with his planned announcement Monday that Mr. Ulman will join him as his running mate.

It is time for gun sense in America! As voters, we will hold our elected officials accountable for keeping our children safe from gun violence ("Whose side is the NRA on?" May 7). Our elected officials are our employees. Just like with any job, when an employee doesn't fulfill the demands of the employer, the are replaced. Look out on election day! Cynthia Kresslein, Ellicott City Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

This past November, I went to Florida to help mobilize voters to increase participation in communities of color and raise the voice of those often unheard. While there, I witnessed firsthand what we all have seen on TV - terrible voting lines that forced community members to wait hours to cast their ballots. However, these perpetual voting challenges are not isolated to Florida. Even here in Maryland, we have a long, long way to go to ensure that the right to vote for Marylanders is easy and accessible for all. Like in Florida, my friends and family here in Baltimore City also waited hours to vote.

The Republican National Committee's approach to repairing the Republican Party will never succeed ("Diversify or die, Republican National Committee is told," April 13). Their attempt to be genuine with women and Latino voters cannot be achieved because anti-abortion and anti-immigration views are core values of their party. As far as addressing misconceptions, I know exactly what they stand for, so I don't see any misconceptions. They need to split the party if they want to get the American voters to show any interest.

With Gov. Martin O'Malley's landmark gun control bill given final approval by the Senate on Friday and waiting only the governor's signature to be enacted into law, Democrats in Annapolis are likely hoping that the next step will be talk of the "R" word. And we don't mean Ruger, Remington, revolvers or repeating rifles. Would you believe referendum? Oh, gun control advocates won't necessarily be happy about the prospect of seeing the gun legislation taken to referendum - it would, after all, delay the effective date for at least 18 months while the matter is decided by voters in November 2014 - but you can bet a lot of people on the Democratic side of the aisle would be ecstatic.

Rebecca Rigger, a League of Women Voters activist who monitored the Baltimore County Planning Board, died of a heart attack March 25 at her Monkton home. She was 85. Born Rebecca Rogers in Big Island, Va., she was raised at an apple orchard in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She earned a bachelor's degree from what is now James Madison University, where she was editor of the college newspaper. As a young woman, she moved to eastern Baltimore County and taught at Middle River Junior High School.

The picture in Wednesday's Sun ("Election draws lowest turnout in history," Sept. 14) illustrates my huge complaint and frustration about the lack of privacy while voting. If the machines were placed with the screens facing the wall instead of open to the public, our votes wouldn't be visible to anyone behind us. I don't accept any excuse. The Board of Election Supervisors has a duty to see that the screens are private and are wired so that each machine is shielded. Claudia R. Fielding

Voting is an important way to mark our democratic freedoms -- and today, it could save you a few bucks. The Daedalus Books outlet store, which lies between Baltimore and Washington, is offering a one-day, 10 percent discount to shoppers who wear an "I Voted" sticker. In Daedulus' words: Vote - Wear - Save. Another incentive for casting your ballot.  The outlet store is located at 9645 Gerwig Lane in Columbia. Phone: (410) 309-2730.  

On Monday night, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the O'Malley administration's proposal to make it easier to cast a ballot in Maryland despite lingering criticism from some in the GOP that somehow early voting and same-day voter registration will lead to an outbreak of voter fraud. That is about as likely as Rep. Paul Ryan endorsing Amtrak, food stamps and an expansion of Obamacare in his next budget proposal. A far better criticism of the measure is that it doesn't go far enough, or perhaps that it imposes an expensive obligation on local government without providing for a funding source.

Members of the Harford County League of Women Voters participated in last week's Women's Suffrage March in Overlea. One hundred years ago this month, suffragettes marched from New York City to Washington, D.C., to petition the government for equal voting rights for women. They stopped in Overlea before continuing their journey. Turnout for the commemorative march was excellent. Pictured are Peg Hill and Elaine Borum representing the Harford County League of Women Voters.