Voting by Mail: If you’re planning to...

Voting by Mail: If you’re planning to use an absentee ballot to vote in next week’s election, don’t forget--only those ballots that reach election central by Tuesday will count. . . . That means stragglers may end up hand-delivering their ballots to their local polling stations on election day.

The Mighty Pen . . . Absentee voters will notice something missing from their voting packets this time: That tiny metal stylus used to punch ballot choices. Assistant election chief Joseph Giles said the metal rods were eliminated because they kept tearing up ballots. Instead, voters can use a ballpoint pen, “but look closely to make sure the little tab of paper you punch out is completely removed,” Giles said.

Political Insider: Studio City attorney David Fleming, above, has been called dynamic, forceful and creative. “He’s a rainmaker,” says a business associate. He’s also Mayor Richard Riordan’s point man on the efforts to revamp an outdated city charter (B1). . . . “Dave Fleming,” said Riordan, “is the man most likely to fall on a grenade for me.”

Big Target: “Life After Death,” the album by slain rapper Notorious B.I.G., has not only been a huge seller since its release a week ago, it’s also been a favorite among shoplifters. . . . “So many [have been] stolen, if I wasn’t forced to, I wouldn’t even carry it,” said Steve Carrico, general manager at Tower Records in Northridge.