Independents' Day?

Frank MacKay, state Independence Party chairman, said he is looking to give the 2.2 million voters not affiliated with any political party a chance to vote in his party's future statewide primaries.

MacKay said he has circulated a memo to his party's state executive board to consider a change in the party's bylaws to permit so-called "blank voters" to vote in their party's primary. Right now, those not affiliated with a major party cannot vote in any party primary.

The party leader said that Republicans in Connecticut made a similar change in 1986, a move that withstood challenge in federal court.

"We're looking to get beyond being a minor party," said MacKay, whose party ranks now total only about 257,000 statewide.

In September, MacKay suffered a major setback when he was unable to deliver an Independence Party primary win for Gov. George Pataki, who was the party designee. Pataki lost by 400 votes statewide to party founder Tom Golisano. MacKay said the move has nothing to do with the primary loss, but is a "party building move."