Six letter openers lay on the bare tables for hours, waiting for the clerks of democracy.
The sharp metal openers would tear across the tops of 3,777 envelopes holding absentee ballots cast in Baltimore, envelopes that may hold the outcome of the race for governor.
By 2:30 p.m. yesterday, almost five hours behind schedule because of legal wrangling, six Board of Elections clerks waded into stacks of mail from around the world. Not used to doing their duty under the glare of television cameras, the suspicious eyes of political gadflies and a crush of rubberneckers, they were led into battle by Terri Marciszewski.
"This is nerve-wracking," said Ms. Marciszewski, chief of absentee ballots. "It's never been this close before, and all this just slows us down."
When it's not close, when the margin of victory far exceeds the number of absentee ballots, nobody bothers to stick their nose over Ms. Marciszewski's shoulder.
But when the outcome is in doubt -- as the governor's race has been since the polls closed Tuesday with Democrat Parris N. Glendening a mere 6,187 votes ahead of Republican Ellen R. Sauerbrey -- absentee ballots become crucial.
"Candidates and their lawyers and the attorney general are having meetings upon meetings," said state elections chief Gene M. Raynor. "If we do not have unofficial results, that's why."
Such enforcement of dotted i's and crossed t's caused delays in election offices across Maryland.
At the Montgomery County elections board in Rockville, administrator Carol S. Evans was asked at 2:45 p.m. yesterday when her people might begin counting. "I hope before I retire," she said.
Baltimore County election offices were crawling with more lawyers than the O. J. Simpson trial. Throughout the day, knots of Glendening supporters huddled, whispering in Parkville hallways, as Sauerbrey workers did the same, each camp trying to puzzle out the best way to go in a civics lesson that hasn't been needed for years.
First, each ballot envelope had to be checked to see if it met the various postmark deadlines. Then the envelopes were opened to see if the ballot and accompanying affidavit were in order. After that, each ballot was separated by legislative district and then put in alphabetical order.
Baltimore elections administrator Barbara Jackson said the Sauerbrey camp was challenging the signatures on every absentee ballot to make sure it matched signatures in voting registration files.
"We're trying hard to appease everyone, except maybe employees of the election board," said Ms. Jackson.
In one case -- the ballot of 71-year-old Freda Smith, a Pennsylvania Avenue resident voting as an absentee because of trouble getting a ride to the polls previously -- officials haggled 50 minutes. The problems included her signature being on the wrong line of the envelope.
Ultimately her vote was accepted, but Ms. Jackson feared a nightmare subjecting each of the 3,777 ballots to such scrutiny.
Each ballot clerk in Baltimore was watched by at least two people: an eagle-eye from the Glendening camp and a sharpshooter from the Sauerbrey forces. Watching the watchdogs were the news media.
Helen L. Dale, a state transportation employee, used a vacation day to come by for a look -- and by her presence lend support to Mr. Glendening. A man with a disposable camera was getting it all on film.
"Everything you do, they want to see it," said Ms. Marciszewski, who has worked for nine years on the elections board.
Imagine 100 cooks making a pot of soup at the same time.
At 2:23 p.m., the pot finally started to simmer when the first of six small safes of ballots was brought out and unlocked. The envelopes, affixed with stamps bearing images of everything from AIDS ribbons to Elvis Presley, were dumped in trays alongside the clerks.
The King of Rock 'n' Roll was likely to be found inside the envelopes as well.
"Elvis gets a few write-in votes every election," said Ms. Jackson.
How weird did it get?
Elections clerk Rosalie Bertorelli called out: "Is it all right if we put the ones we already opened under the table?"
"Better to put them on the couch," someone answered.
Ms. Bertorelli shouted: "Can we get a ruling on the couch?"
"Yeah," someone cracked. "We'll need it for the psychiatrist."
The fun resumes today at 6 a.m.
THE ABSENTEE BALLOT COUNT
Allegany
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 788
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 678
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 318
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 360
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 53.1
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 57.1
Anne Arundel
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 3,900
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 3,805
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 1,482
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 2,323
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 61.9
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 60.3
Baltimore City
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 3,775
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 0
Absentee ballots for Glendening --
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey --
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey --
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 25.3
Baltimore County
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 6,567
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 0
Absentee ballots for Glendening --
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey --
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey --
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 56.8
Calvert
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 764
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 0
Absentee ballots for Glendening --
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey --
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey --
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 60.8
Caroline
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 289
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 267
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 95
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 172
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 64.4
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 67.0
Carroll
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 1,518
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 1,483
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 475
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 1,008
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 68.0
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 72.2
Cecil
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 721
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 693
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 275
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 418
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 60.3
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 64.0
Charles
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 911
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 865
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 342
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 523
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 60.5
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 60.7
Dorchester
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 357
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 315
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 127
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 188
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 59.7
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 60.2
Frederick
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 1,318
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 1,283
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 493
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 790
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 61.6
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 64.6
Garrett
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 449
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 412
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 105
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 307
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 74.5
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 77.3
Harford
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 2,097
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 2,063
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 714
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 1,349
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 65.4
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 64.8
Howard
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 3,300
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 2,872
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 1,268
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 1,604
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 53.1
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 53.5
Kent
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 416
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 401
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 168
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 233
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 58.1
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 57.8
Montgomery
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 8,745
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 0
Absentee ballots for Glendening --
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey --
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey --
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 41.4
Prince George's
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 4,076
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 0
Absentee ballots for Glendening --
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey --
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey --
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 31.4
Queen Anne's
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 502
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 477
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 168
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 309
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 64.8
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 65.1
St. Mary's
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 818
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 773
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 318
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 455
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 58.9
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 58.5
Somerset
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 531
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 474
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 167
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 307
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 64.8
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 63.1
Talbot
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 596
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 0
Absentee ballots for Glendening --
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey --
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey --
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 65.8
Washington
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 1,356
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 1,298
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 521
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 777
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 59.9
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 64.6
Wicomico
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 732
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 694
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 287
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 407
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 58.6
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 59.6
Worcester
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 805
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 776
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 269
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 507
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 65.3
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 61.8
TOTAL
Number of absentee ballots returned -- 45,331
Number of absentee ballots counted -- 19,629
Absentee ballots for Glendening -- 7,592
Absentee ballots for Sauerbrey -- 12,037
Percent of absentee for Sauerbrey -- 61.3
Percent of Tuesday vote for Sauerbrey -- 49.8