ELECTION STRAGGLERS . . . CALIFORNIA, MARYLAND IN LIMBO

Even though most oddsmakers have called California's Senate race in favor of Democratic incumbent Dianne Feinstein, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge has temporarily halted the count of 500,000 absentee ballots that theoretically could throw the race to GOP challenger Michael Huffington. Judge Coleman Swart said he ordered the pause to try to corroborate a Republican radio talk show host's allegations that undocumented aliens and minors had sent in fraudulent ballots. Meanwhile in Maryland, the gubernatorial contest between Democrat Parris Glendening and Republican Ellen Sauerbrey is down to a snail's-pace absentee ballot count in two counties -- caused in part by thousands of detailed challenges recently mounted by Sauerbrey.Post your opinion on theElection '94bulletin board.