Baltic supporters of Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga’s bid to become the next secretary general of the United Nations are looking ahead to the next straw poll expected this week during a meeting of the Security Council in New York.

The Security Council, which will decide who is to replace Kofi Annan as secretary general of the world body, is expected to take another straw poll on Sept. 28. The council’s members include Russia and China, both likely opponents of Vīķe-Freiberga’s candidacy. While not binding, the straw poll should give an indication of who the front-runner is.

The American Latvian Association and the Baltic Association to the United Nations, as well as the president’s supporters in Latvia, have been organizing online petitions and other activities to promote Vīķe-Freiberga. She is the only woman among seven announced candidates for the position. Vīķe-Freiberga, rumored for months as potential canidadate for Annan’s job, announced Sept. 15 that she wants to be considered for the post.

The New York-based BATUN on its Web site notes that no woman has ever led the United Nations and that no one from Eastern Europe has held the post. BATUN also points to the president’s poltical and diplomatic experience, including serving as a special envoy for Annan’s reform efforts.

Valdis Pavlovskis, head of ALA’s Information Office, in an e-mail urged supporters of the president to sign an online petition and to contact members of the U.S. Congress about the president’s candidacy.

Both BATUN and ALA are encouraging Baltic-Americans to sign an online petition at www.chooseawomanforun.org. The petition, which had been signed by more than 9,000 people by Sept. 26, was set up by French supporters of picking a woman to lead the United Nations.

Annan’s term as secretary general expires at the end of this year. Vīķe-Freiberga is in her second term as president of Latvia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during a Sept. 23 press conference in New York, reaffirmed his country’s position that the next secretary general should come from Asia.

People interested in learning about candidates, candidate lists and party platforms for the Oct. 7 Latvian parliamentary election may now visit any of the nine polling stations in the United States, the Embassy of Latvia in Washington, D.C., has announced.

The polling stations will be open from Sept. 27 through Oct. 6 for visitors to peruse the information.

By location, the dates and times are:

• Washington, D.C.: Visitors may call at the Embassy of Latvia, 2306 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 27-29 and Oct. 2-6. Visitors also may call at the Latvian Ev.-Lutheran Church of Washington, 400 Hurley Ave., Rockville, Md., from 6-10 p.m. Sept. 30 and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 1.
• Chicago: Visitors may call at the Latvian House, 4146 N. Elston Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 27-29 and Oct. 2-5. Visitors may also call from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 30 at the official polling station in the Zion Latvian Ev.-Lutheran Church, 6551 W. Montrose Ave. On Oct. 1, election information will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the polling station as well as in the St. Peter Latvian Ev.-Lutheran Church, 450 Forest Preserve Dr., Wood Dale; in the Chicago Latvian Baptist Church, 820 Ontario, Oak Park, and in the Chicago Latvian Catholic Church, 1655 N. Rockwell, Chicago.
• Los Angeles: Visitors may call at the Latvian Community Center, 1955 Riverside Drive, from 5-9 p.m. Sept. 27-29 and Oct. 2-3, from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 1, from 6-11 p.m. Oct. 4 and 6, from 6-10 p.m. Oct. 5.
• Seattle: Visitors may call at the Latvian Center, 11710 3rd Ave. N.E., from 5-9 p.m. Sept. 27-29 and Oct. 2-6, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.
• Cleveland: Visitors may call at the United Latvian Ev. Lutheran Church, 1385 Andrews Ave., Lakewood, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Sept. 27-30 and Oct. 1, 2, 4 and 5; from 6-10 p.m. Oct. 3, and from 4-8 p.m. Oct. 6.
• St. Petersburg, Fla.: Visitors may call at the Latvian American Center, 1705 9th Ave. N., from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 27-Oct. 6.
• Minneapolis: Visitors may call at the Latvian Ev.-Lutheran Church of Minneapolis and St. Paul, 3152 17th Ave. S., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 27-30, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 1, and from 4-8 p.m. Oct. 2-6.
• Boston: Visitors may call at the Latvian Ev.-Lutheran “Trimda” Church of Boston, 58 Irving St., Brookline, from 4-8 p.m. Sept. 27, Sept. 29 and Oct. 3, 5, and 6; from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 28, Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and Oct. 4, and from 6-10 p.m. Oct. 2.
• New York: Vistors may call at the Latvian Permanent Mission to the United Nations, 333 East 50th St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 27-Oct. 6.

Information about the candidates and party platform also is available in text and audio formats on the Web site of the Central Election Commission in Rīga, www.cvk.lv.

On election day, Oct. 7, polling stations in Latvia and abroad will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. A total of 53 polling stations will operate outside of Latvia.