Hey, New York City resident, you’ve registered to vote and put Primary Day (Tuesday, Feb. 5) in your calendar. Doing your civic duty gave you such a thrill that you’re ready to learn who’s running for office. Maybe you’ve even set aside that free afternoon you’ve got on MLK Day to volunteer for one of the campaigns. Well, your friendly neighborhood Metromix has what you’ll need to get started: websites, contacts, and even some local events. Here’s a little primer on what to look for:

Signing in. To organizers, information translates directly into votes. Every website will ask if you want to sign up for e-mail updates. You don’t have to, but you’ll miss out on all sorts of spam. But you’ll have to supply an e-mail address, log-in name, and sometimes even more (ironically, it’s the Republicans who demand more personal information).

Donating. Of course, money translates directly into votes too. And practically speaking, giving money to your candidate is the least you can do for them. And they make it so easy, with a big, obvious button marked “Donate” and a form that asks for your name, credit card number, and so on.

Issues. Most of the candidates have a menu marked “Issues” that separates the planks in their platforms. Notice the order and wording acts as a code for their key issues (Huckabee’s #1: “Securing Borders”; Clinton’s: “Strengthening the Middle Class”).

News. The candidates make their speeches widely available to read and view. You can also read their latest press releases and endorsements (you may not remember Duncan Hunter, but he’s won Ann Coulter’s endorsement), and watch the attack ads everyone’s talking about.

Character. Every site has a colorful biography and warm pictures of family and friends. In fact, it’s easier to learn about the candidate’s wife (what’s up with that?) than their stance on education. Photos, blogs home movies – it’s all on display.

At this stage, most of the candidates haven’t set up shop in town yet. Only locals Clinton and Giuliani have offices in Manhattan, but Obama’s got a “citywide Obama-line” for Gothamites, and Gravel has a campaign HQ in Second Life. The rest allow grassroots organizers – big fans, really – to coordinate their local campaigns. Meanwhile, their websites recommend that the best way to help is by throwing a party for your friends in the candidate’s honor. Yay! Keg-stands for McCain!

If you still haven’t decided which candidate to throw your support behind, you might want to start with Kucinich’s website, since he’s got a Pick-Your-Candidate test. Oddly, the candidate whose stance is closest to this reporter is… Dennis Kucinich!

But maybe no one seems like the right fit. Instead, you work at the polling stations. Not only do you get paid but you get to take an oath. To earn that $425, you’ll be required to visit your borough’s Board of Elections, fill out application, take a seminar (the test is pass/fail and open-book), and work both the city primary on September 9 and the general on November 4 (sorry, the deadline for party primaries has passed). The hours are a grueling 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., including breaks. But you’ll be an essential part of the 2008 Election! For more information, call:

The Bronx            718-299-9017
Brooklyn              718-797-8868
Manhattan           212-886-2143
Queens               718-730-6762
Staten Island       718-876-0402


Democrats
 
Hillary Clinton
420 Lexington Avenue Suite 3030
New York, NY 10170 212-213-3717
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/

John Edwards
410 Market Street Suite 400
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919-636-3131
http://www.johnedwards.com/

Mike Gravel
National office:
P.O. Box 948
Arlington, VA; 22216
703-652-4698
http://www.gravel2008.us/

Dennis Kucinich
NYC contact
Doug Biviano
(c) 917-257-3652
(h) 718-855-1999
dbiviano@gmail.com

National office:
Kucinich for President 2008
11808 Lorain Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44111
http://www.dennis4president.com/home/

Barack Obama
NYC contact
347-694-HOPE
http://www.nyc4obama.com/

National office:
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
866-675-2008
http://www.barackobama.com/



Republicans

Rudolph Giuliani
National office:
Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee
295 Greenwich St. #371
New York, NY 10007
212-835-9449
http://www.joinrudy2008.com/

Mike Huckabee
National office:
Huckabee for President
P.O. Box 2008
Little Rock, AK 72203
501-324-2008
http://www.mikehuckabee.com/

Duncan Hunter
National office: Hunter for President
9340 Fuerte Drive Suite 302
La Mesa, CA 91941
619-463-3896
http://www.gohunter08.com/

John McCain
National office:
John McCain 2008
P.O. Box 16118
Arlington VA 22215
703-418-2008
http://www.exploremccain.com/

Ron Paul
National office:
3461 Washington Blvd., Suite 200
Arlington VA 22201
703-248-9115
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/

Mitt Romney
National office:
Romney for President
P.O. Box 55239
Boston, MA 02205
857-288-6400
http://www.mittromney.com

Fred Thompson
National office:
Friends of Fred Thompson
P.O. Box 128349
Nashville, TN 37212
http://www.fred08.com/