Area political party registration

HARLEM VALLEY — In the northeast corner of Dutchess County, the towns of North East, Amenia, Pine Plains and Washington witness party voter registration  tipped toward the Republican Party, with 35 percent of registered voters, while the Democrats have 30 percent and those not affiliated with any party comprise 27 percent.

Those figures are according to April 2010 New York State Board of Elections statistics. Amenia has the highest percentage of registered Democrats with 33 percent, while Pine Plains has the most registered Republicans with 34 percent.

The four towns’ party enrollment totals, including inactive voters whose names have not yet been purged from voter rolls, are more conservative than Dutchess County overall, where 34 percent are registered Democrats, 32 percent registered Republicans and 27 percent are independent voters not affiliated with any party.

The accompanying chart illustrates that registered voters in the Northeast Corner of the county are more conservative and more independent than all of Dutchess County, the rest of upstate New York (which the Board of Elections defines as everything outside of New York City) and all of New York state — where 50 percent of registered voters are Democrats.

Tuesday, Nov. 2, election outcomes will be decided by which voters show up at the polls. Fran Knapp, Democratic commissioner of the Dutchess County Board of Elections, is expecting a high turnout because of the New York gubernatorial race.

Voters who can’t get to the polls on Election Day may request an application to receive an absentee ballot by Tuesday, Oct. 26. The application form is available online or may be requested by phone at the county Board of Elections office in Poughkeepsie at  845-486-2473, by mail or in person at the board’s offices at 47 Cannon St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

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