Atlanta voters go to the polls November 3 to choose a new mayor, new city council president, city council members, board of education and municipal court judges.

The race to succeed two term Mayor Shirley Franklin has, of course, has drawn most of the scant attention voters are paying to the election.

Franklin, once named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News and World Report and ranked by Time magazine as one of the top five mayors in the country in 2005 has, by most accounts, been an unmitigated disaster during these last two years of her final term.

Generally, voters are gloomy about the future, deeply unsettled by the economy and distrustful of politicians. There's a palatable yawn from most city residents and a jaded, sullen indifference to the oh, so earnest appeals from the mayoral candidates.

Crime is the number one issue with recent and sharp increase in home invasions, smash and grabs, car jackings and break-ins, robberies, thefts, shootings killing and muggings- a litany of woes. The relentless crime spree - appropriately enough - has even struck across the street from City Hall.

A property tax increase wasn't greeted with any acclaim - naturally - as many see city government being dysfunctional, plagued with a deficit and still bloated with too many employees and heavy bureaucracy. Two of the three leading candidates for mayor - Mary Norwood and Lisa Borders - are members of an unwieldy, 15 person, contentious, city council which sucks $6.9 million annually from taxpayers.

A new poll, released this week, shows [Mary] “Norwood Far Ahead in Atlanta Mayor Race.”

- Norwood at 46 percent;

- Reed at 26 percent;

- Borders at 17 percent;

- Spikes at 2 percent;

- Undecided voters at 5 percent.

This poll - and others - and conventional wisdom say Councilwoman Mary Norwood will finish first but face a December 1 runoff. Race has already raised its ugly head in the campaign and might do so again, polarizing the city.The question is - given the sour mood of Atlanta's voters - how many will show up to vote? Ho hum.