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How to vote in the New York primary

Rick Brand

February 5, 2008

Democrats can vote for a candidate and for candidates' delegates; Republicans can vote only for a candidate.

DEMOCRATS

1. Pull down the lever in the first column for the candidate you want to become the Democratic presidential nominee.

2. Pull down the levers of up to five delegates and one alternate delegate. The delegates next to a candidate's name have pledged to support that person at the Democratic National Convention.

(Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich have withdrawn from the race, but not in time to have their names removed from the ballot.)

REPUBLICANS

1. Pull down the lever for the candidate you want to become the Republican presidential nominee.

(Rudy Giuliani has quit the race, but did so too late to have his name removed.)

VOTING

WHO Any voter who has registered as either a Republican or a Democrat.

WHEN Today between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

WHERE Contact your board of elections if you do not know your polling place:

Nassau 516-571-2411; nassaucountyny.gov/

agencies/BOE/index.html

Suffolk 631-852-4500; co.suffolk.ny.us

New York City 212-487-5300; vote.nyc.ny.us

Eligible voters only

Long Island's 751 polling places will be open today from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. for what experts say will be heavy and perhaps record turnouts for New York's Republican and Democratic presidential primaries.

Unlike some other states, New York voters must be enrolled in a major party to participate in the presidential primary and can only cast ballots in their own party's contest.

To be eligible, voters must have registered in a party before Jan. 11. While absentee ballots sent by mail had to be postmarked by yesterday, voters may have them delivered personally to their polling place or the County Board of Elections by the end of voting today.

Voters who are refused permission to vote because they are not listed on voter registration rolls may request to file an affidavit ballot at the polling place or appear before a judge who will be stationed at the elections boards in Nassau and Suffolk.

For further information - including handicapped-accessible locations - Nassau voters may call the board of elections at 516-571-2411. In Suffolk, the board of elections will take calls of Republicans at 631-852-4566 and Democrats at 631-852-4569.