There is enough anxiety surrounding Election Day without the added pressure of partisan "challengers" questioning voters at targeted polling places.
That's why we support the decisions of two federal judges in Ohio, who separately ruled that the presence of such challengers inside the polling places would be unconstitutional. The judges reached their decisions independently. Concerns that the decisions were partisan should be stilled by the facts that one, Susan Dlott of Cincinnati, was appointed by Bill Clinton and the other, John Adams of Akron, was appointed by George W. Bush.
Republicans wanted to deploy 3,500 challengers in Ohio polling places because they said thousands of new voter registrations taken by Democrats increased the risk of voter fraud. Donald and Marion Spencer filed suit in Dlott's court, claiming the challengers were aimed at largely black precincts and would intimidate people who might vote for John Kerry. In granting an order restraining the challengers, Dlott said there was a likelihood the Spencers would prevail at trail.
In the Akron case, Adams said having the challengers who might not be familiar with election procedures inside the polling places would be disruptive. Fraud may occur, but regular poll workers have the authority and obligation under Ohio law to issue challenges if warranted, he said.
The Republican Party appealed the decisions to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati. We think the rulings by Adams and Dlott make sense, but if the Court of Appeals rules otherwise by the time the polls open this morning, so be it. The real challenge today will still belong to the voters who must make many decisions inside the polling places that will affect their nation, their states and their communities. .
This political season ought to be more about empowering voters to get to the polls and vote rather than placing obstacles - either real or perceived - in their way.
Thousands of new registrants - more than 80,000 in Hamilton County - are expected to vote today for the first time. It is important that they ignore the myths and paranoia that have marked this year's campaign.
Some of the more far-out stories that continue to circulate included that a voter has to be cast in every race on a ballot for the ballot to count and that write-in errors will disqualify entire ballots. Neither is true.
We hope Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is right when he says "On balance, we are going to this right."
Blackwell's office has a website that answers questions about voting (http://www.yourvotecountsohio.org), and television ads offer details about the proper way to vote in Ohio.
Voters should take their ID and any kind of document that can verify their name and street address. Trust poll workers assigned to precincts. They are there to provide assistance and are prepared to answer voter-related question. Read the signs and instructions at polling places that tell how to use voting machines and how to file a complaint if you feel your rights have been violated.
When you cast your votes, do so with the freedom that our constitution offers and the protections that it guarantees.
Your first thoughts
We'll be up late watching election returns Tuesday night, and we know many of you will be as well. Let us know your first thoughts as the results come in. E-mail us, in 100 words or fewer, at 
