Voters appear ready to trounce state Issue 1.

The constitutional amendment would require judges to sentence first- and second-time nonviolent drug offenders to treatment instead of prison if treatment is requested.

A Columbus Dispatch poll, released Sunday, found Issue 1 was opposed 68 percent to 32 percent.

The mail poll was based on returns of 2,048 randomly selected Ohio registered voters who said they intend to vote on Tuesday. It was conducted Oct. 24 through Thursday. The margin of error was 2 percentage points.

Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor led Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Tim Black 55 percent to 45 percent for the seat held by retiring Justice Andrew Douglas.

The race between Republican Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Democratic Judge Janet Burnside of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court remains too close to call. Ms. Stratton leads, 52 percent to 48 percent for Ms. Burnside.

In the closest of the races for the executive offices, incumbent Republican Treasurer Joseph Deters leads Mary Boyle 54 percent to 46 percent.

Incumbent Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell had a large lead as did Auditor Jim Petro and Attorney General Betty Montgomery, who are running for each other's seat because of term limits.

Bush walks the walk, Deters does the talk

President Bush appears in a new TV ad for Mr. Deters.

The president doesn't have a speaking part, but he is seen walking with Mr. Deters.

Mr. Bush may not know much about Mr. Deters' performance as treasurer, but he does know a lot about the ability of the Hamilton County Republican Party to deliver votes. Mr. Deters is former chairman of the party, which helped Mr. Bush win Ohio in 2000.

Now's the time to replenish cup supply

You might think a re-election campaign would spend most of its money on television ads, phone calls or billboards.

Rep. Steve Chabot also spends a lot on cups.

Not just a couple of cups, but 100,000 cups. That's about one cup for every vote he'll get, based on his past elections.

Mr. Chabot's trademark is handing out cups; he's done that in all his elections. This year he spent more than $9,000 on plastic cups from a St. Louis company.

"His cup is the centerpiece for grassroots efforts," campaign spokesman Jamie Schwartz said.

The Westwood Republican and his volunteers pass them out at parades, church festivals and fairs. They passed 15,000 cups in one day at Cheviot's Harvest Home Festival.

The cups merit a special page on Mr. Chabot's campaign Web site, www.stevechabot.com.

And the e-mail address for his campaign? chabotcup@yahoo.com.