A man in a baseball cap walked around with atray of baked goods. "Scones," he said, "forMenino," and looking embarrassed, he melted intothe crowd.

Finally, Elvis appeared on a rooftop, bearing aBrett sign.

The crowd reveled in the crisp evening air, butthe weather was predicted to turn rainy and nottop 62 degrees on election day.

"Bad weather is predicted which will keep folksat home unless a candidate's organization pullsthem out," said George Bachrach, a former statesenator and political analyst. "The person bestequipped to do that can pull off an upset."

State and local officials were predicting ahigh turnout despite the weather forecast, due tovoter interest in the contest for the seat lastheld by Raymond Flynn, now U.S. Ambassador to theVatican.

"I just anticipate that all those politicalorganizations for those candidates will turn out agood number of voters," said John Donovan Sr., thecity's chief registrar of voters.

Donovan predicted that 49 to 52 percent of thecity's 225,196 registered voters would go to thepolls in the election, which will narrow the racefor mayor to two candidates.

Menino has the coveted spot at the top of theelection ballot, with Rufo listed last.

Ira E. Stoll contributed the reporting ofthis story.