LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. (AP) - A poll shows New York voters nearly evenly divided on natural gas drilling using hydraulic fracturing.
    
The Siena Research Institute poll released Monday says voters statewide were split 40-40 percent when asked if the Department of Environmental Conservation should lift a 4 ½-year-old moratorium on fracking. The remaining 20 percent had no opinion. In the Southern Tier region where drilling would most likely start, the poll showed 48 percent opposed and 47 percent favored lifting the ban.
    
The poll found opponents of fracking were far more passionate in their positions than supporters were.
    
The agency has a Feb. 27 deadline to complete fracking regulations or let them expire.
    
The telephone poll conducted Jan. 27-31 surveyed 1,154 registered voters and has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.

KINGSTON – Kingston - The actual ballot opening and counting was done in a room at the Ulster County Board of Elections.

Reporters were watching but cameras banned in apparent violation of the state's open meetings law.

The process was routine and anonymous for the voters but absolutely essential.

90 ballots previously objected to, ruled out by a Montgomery County judge but brought back in by the appeals court, were opened and as expected ran heavily for Tkaczyk.

(Her election should help bring) "campaign finance reform including public financing of elections," said observer Jessica Wisneski Of Citizen Action of New York. "The minimum wage, I mean this election had everything to do with what can now happen in the New York State Senate."