Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-03
Congress Lineup
To Be Decided
AtPo|Is Today
COP Control Unlikely:
Spotlight Turned on
. New York Race
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Upward of 100000 war
minded Americans exercise today
the right and privilege to shape
their own government.
In the first wartime election since
1918 the voters cast ballots to deter
mine the political complexion of the
new Congress starting in January
and thirds of the 48 State adj
ministrations.
The Democrats. holding comfort
able majorites in Senate and House
and % of the present governorships,
expected some net losses. But even
the Republicans themselves laid no
claims to an upset that would give
them control of the House, where
their chances were conceded to be
the best The Republicans needed
So new seats to gain majority
218-but claimed only from % to 35.
The Democrats conceded net loss
of no more than IS.
Democratic control of the Senate
was not threatened. Republicans
claimed all the governorships in the
key States, including New York, but
Democrats challenged their claims.
Local Issues Predominate.
Except for a contest here and there
in which so-called 'isolationism'
figured, local issues predominated in
a campaign more notable for its pre-
occupation with the war than with
politics.
Ballots in At States contained the
names of more than 1000 candidates
for 80 seats in the new Senate and
two 6O-day terms in the present; 1872
House memberships. 80 governor
ships and 208 other State offices,
exclusive of State legislative posts.
Maine, the only State not voting
today, held its election last Septem-
Der IA, choosing Governor, Senator
and three House members, all Re-
publicans.
Voting was expected to be light
even for an "off-year" election.
With millions in war factories and
in the fighting forces. only about IS
per cent of those eligible were likely
to vote, or some 100000 compared
with nearly 100000 in 1910 and
100000 in 1888.
Booths Open Early.
Polling booths opened early and
closed late to accommodate war work.
ers in many States. Voters marked
ballots in more than 10000 pre-
cincts or districts.
President Roosevelt had asked
employers to give war workers rea-
sonable time off to vote, without
pay deductions, and to stagger work.
ing hours to avoid waste motion in
the gigantic war production drive.
Men and women in the uniformed
services were free to cast absentee
ballots wherever possible, but only
small percentage were expected
to do so.
With thousands of fighting men
in faro corners of the world, wo-
men were expected to cast proper
tionately larger vote than in former
elections. Some forecast a so to g.
per cent feminine vote.
Some close contests may not be
decided for several days because of
delay in receiving and counting
mailed ballots. California, for ex-
ample, does not complete it's absen-
tee ballot count until next Monday
Eyes on New York Race.
Eyes were on the New York gu
bernatorial race because of its pos
sible 1914 presidential implications
Thomas E. Dewey. Republican can
didate, with an 11th-hour indorse-
ment by Wendell Willkie, was in 6
close contest with Democrat Johr
j. Bennett, jr., Endorsed by Presi.
dent Roosevelt and piloted through
the campaign by State Chairman
James A. Farley. A third candidate
was Dean Alfange, American.
Labor.
Republicans claimed victories no
only in New York. but in the guber.
antorial contests in California
Michigan and Connecticut, all nov
having Democratic Governors. ant
in Ohio, Massachusetts, and Penn
sylvania, now Republican.
The Republicans also forecast
(See ELECTION, Page 2-X1