Albany seats up for grabs in Thursday's primary

Thursday is Primary Day for several state seats and the City Council wants to make sure it runs smoothly.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn encouraged voters to alert the council through its Facebook, Twitter and web pages if they encounter any problems. In June, the BOE prematurely declared Charles Rangel the victor in his Democratic primary before it was discovered his lead was smaller as more votes came in.

"The feedback we collect on our social media channels will not only engage New Yorkers in the voting process, it will also help us, as we continue to work with the Board of Elections to improve election day operations," Quinn said in a statement.

The board will be using a new computer system that aims to give a faster, more accurate official vote count.

Here are some hotly contested races:

BRONX 31st Senatorial District: After losing the June congressional Democratic primary to Rangel, Adriano Espaillat quickly announced he would seek re-election for his seat. He faces Guillermo Linares, who endorsed Rangel.

BROOKLYN 18th Senatorial District: State Sen. Martin Dilan is facing opposition from Jason Otaño, who worked as Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz's counsel. Dilan had the backing of controversial state Assemb. Vito Lopez, who last month was censured over claims of sexual harassment.

QUEENS 10th Senatorial District: State Sen. Shirley Huntley and City Councilman James Sanders are vying for the seat. Despite being indicted on conspiracy and corruption charges by the state attorney general last month, Huntley has vowed to stay in the race.