EDITORIAL: Nominate candidates and try new voting system

Much is at stake in New York this year, and Primary Day tomorrow offers members of political parties two important opportunities. The first is to choose candidates - Republican and Conservative for governor, Democratic for attorney general, candidates for U.S. senator and, in some districts, nominees for the House and the State Legislature.

More novel is the chance to use a new voting process for the first time on Long Island in nearly a century. Out are curtains and tiny levers. In are "privacy voting booths,'' paper ballots with ovals like lottery forms, and scanners to record votes. The system has been tried - reportedly without problems, and with accuracy - in local elections upstate. But because of concerns about reliability and security, Nassau County is pushing ahead with a lawsuit to use the old machines for the general election. In the meantime, voters should be aware of a few things.

Unlike lever machines, paper ballots don't stop you from choosing too many or too few candidates in a race. Instead, a warning message will flash on the scanner. Push a green button to submit only votes in the races without mistakes, or a red one to try again. You get three tries, but then you're out - though some elections officials say they'll be lenient for now. And if type on some ballots is too small, ask a poll worker for help.

With the general election only 50 days away, this is a chance to nominate candidates of consequence. But if that's not enough, you can also test a new form of democracy in action. hN