NEW YORK, NY February 19, 2008 —The short-changing of initial vote totals for Senator Barack Obama in New York's presidential primary has give ammunition to critics of the state's election system.

On primary night, unofficial vote totals gave Senator Obama NO votes in at least 78 election districts out of the City's more than 6,000. Follow-up tallies showed the Illinois senator with hundreds of votes in the same precincts where he had been zeroed out. Dick Dadey with Citizens Union says the latest controversy once again raises questions about the competence of election officials.

DADEY: "It remains a place where elected officials and party officials are able to make patronage appointments and put people in place not based on competence or merit but based on their political affiliation."

HOST: Election officials counter that having both political parties in the vote counting process assures its integrity.

State election officials say the election results will be certified by March 3rd. The vote tallies will determine how many delegates Obama and Hillary Clinton will receive.