Ballot Set For

Connecticut Primary

By Adam Gorlick

Associated Press

HARTFORD — While New Hampshire residents voted in the first presidential primary of 2000 on Tuesday, Connecticut’s secretary of the state drew lots to determine the order on the March 7 ballot.

Bill Bradley tops Al Gore on the Democratic primary ballot. Alan Keyes and Gary Bauer take the top two slots on the GOP ballot, respectively.

Following on the GOP list are George W. Bush, Steve Forbes and Orrin Hatch. John McCain’s name was picked last by Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz.

Hatch, who quit the race last week, will be on the ballot because he never officially notified the state of his withdrawal, Bysiewicz said.

“We don’t believe the positioning of names has made much of a difference to voters,” Bysiewicz said. “The person who has the top spot doesn’t necessarily win the primary.”

Except for New Hampshire, all New England states hold their primaries March 7. So do California, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, New York and Missouri.

Only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in the Connecticut primaries. Unaffiliated voters have until noon on March 6 to register with a party, Bysiewicz said.

But it’s too late for voters to jump from one party to another – that deadline was December 7.

Connecticut usually has a 20 to 40 percent voter turnout rate in presidential primaries, Bysiewicz said.

In the March 1996 primary, there was a 28.4 percent GOP turnout. There was no Democratic primary because Bill Clinton ran unopposed.

“Because both the Democrats and Republicans have had lively debates this year, that should create more interest and higher turnout,” Bysiewicz said. “And not having an incumbent also tends to get more people involved.”