March 2 is election day in Massachusetts. It is a day to indicate your preference among presidential candidates.

It has gone largely unnoticed among our state's citizenry, perhaps because so much attention was focused on the New Hampshire primary early this month, and the local airwaves have been largely free of political ads since that political coverage has largely focused on next week's "Super Tuesday" event, with coverage skewed towards those states considered in play. John Kerry is considered a lock to win in his home state.

Whatever. The polls are open next Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and registered voters may cast a ballot to indicate their preference. Democrats and Republicans can vote in their parties' election, and independent voters, those unenrolled in either party, have the right to cast a ballot in either party's election.

Independents must declare themselves Democrat or Republican as they enter the polls, and for that short time, they become members of the party. In a new policy, independents can disenroll at the polling place, after they have cast their ballots. Whether the change encourages more non-party members to cast a ballot remains to be seen.

George W. Bush is the only name on the Republican ballot. Democratic Party Candidates include Richard Gephardt, Joseph Lieberman, Wesley K. Clark, Howard Dean, Carol Moseley Braun, John Edwards, Dennis J. Kucinich, John F. Kerry, Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr. and Al Sharpton Also appearing on the ballot are Libertarian Party and Green-Rainbow Candidates.

Other items up for a vote next Tuesday are the grass-roots party operatives, local residents seeking election to party ward committees. Each Dorchester ward - 13,14,15,16,17 and 18 - will elect a group to serve as members of the ward committees, both Democrats and Republicans. On the ballot also are candidates to serve terms on the State Committees of both parties.

The process next Tuesday is a simple one: party members will be casting ballots to choose a presidential candidate. Delegates to next summer's party conventions, in Boston and New York City, will be committed to support the candidates who win next Tuesday. - Ed Forry

Redrawing Boston's House Districts

The contentious political times of this still-young year continued this week.Tuesday's federal court ruling that calls for the abandonment of the newly-drawn legislative district lines could have far-reaching ramifications for local legislators.

The court has ruled that the Legislature must draw new political boundaries for the House seats that will be contested next fall. The Legislature must act within six weeks, the the court must approve any new districts - or else, it will impose its own boundaries.

The order has the potential for some unseemly battles at the local level. It is possible that some current officeholders will be in the position of challenging another incumbent, while some other areas may find open seats. In total, the boundaries of all 17 House seats in Boston must be reconfigured. Adjacent districts in nearby communities like Milton, Brookline, Chelsea, and Cambridge may also be effected.

- E.F.