Voters turn out to decide taxes, term limits, tuition.

• Position: Nov. 1993 elections - On First Reading

As voters in New Jersey and Virginia went to the polls to pick governors and state legislators for another term, voters in other states were drawn there by ballot questions ranging from term limits to tax limits.

Wins and losses in November elections around the country:

In New Jersey, even though the Republicans won the gubernatorial slot and held their majority in both houses of the Legislature, Democrats snatched three more seats in the Senate and six in the House. The party division now stands at 24 R, 16 D in the Senate, 53 R, 27 D in the House.

The GOP did better in Virginia, electing Republican George Allen after three Democratic governors. In the Democratic-ruled House (Senate members were not up), new numbers put the GOP within three seats of potentially organizing the legislature. Republicans gained six seats, putting them at 47 against the Democrats' 52. The House also has one independent member.

Democrats control the Pennsylvania Senate by virtue of the lieutenant governor's participation in procedural matters as president of the body. But the chamber is deadlocked at 25-25 after a special election in November. However, the Republicans are continuing to challenge the election in state and federal courts.

Democrats gained control of the Pennsylvania Senate for the first time in 12 years last November when a Republican switched parties and tied the body. Senator Robert Mellow became president pro tem on Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mark Single's tie-breaking vote. Republicans gained a seat this summer in another special election when Senator Jim Greenwood went to Congress. In Michigan, the deadlocked House will lose two Democrats in January when they take their new jobs as the mayors of Pontiac and Lansing, temporarily shifting the Republicans to a two-seat majority. Under state law, the governor cannot call special elections to fill the vacancies until they actually occur, so the seats can't be filled until March at the earliest. And he can wait until the general election in November if he chooses. Michigan is knee deep in reinventing and refinancing K-12 education after the Legislature cut some $6.9 billion in property tax for schools. Republican Governor John Engler might be tempted to keep the GOP advantage in the House as long as possible.

Maine voters by a 2-1 margin imposed on their legislators and other state officials the most severe term limits in any state so far. The restrictions become effective with the 1996...