At 7:45 a.m. yesterday morning, the sidewalks and median strips on the edge of Harvard Square were the hot places for City Council candidates to be.

One day before the election, incumbent Kathleen L. Born had set up shop by the Church Street T stop and was handing out leaflets to Cantabrigians on their way to work. Candidate David P. Maher was standing with a bright blue campaign sign amidst a sea of supporters on the median strip near the corner of Garden Street and Mass. Ave. Nearby was incumbent Anthony D. Galluccio, cheerily waving and yelling "How are ya?" to people in cars as they passed by.

"Anthony's probably the only one who puts himself into the traffic," joked Amy S. Smith, one of his volunteers.

Campaigning early in the morning at this prime spot is a pre-election tradition, according to Smith.

Maher said this type of visibility showed voters the candidates were working hard.

"This is a wonderful way to show people that you're working," Maher said.

This morning's gathering is only one of many ways candidates are trying to win voters at the last minute. Under Cambridge's proportional representation voting system, candidates fight for number one votes to try to meet the quota needed for election.

Councillor Henrietta Davis said that it is important for candidates to remind voters who they are right before the election.