US networks: Clinton wins New York Democratic primary

Clinton's apparent triumph late Tuesday local time padded her delegate lead over rival Sanders, depriving him of a crucial opportunity to narrow the margin.

But the self-described democratic socialist vowed to compete through all of the voting contests, though his odds of overtaking Clinton at this stage in the race were increasingly remote.

"We've got a shot to victory," Sanders told the Associated Press. "We have come a very long way in the last 11 months, and we are going to fight this out until the end of the process."

Earlier, Clinton voted with husband, former president Bill Clinton, in the leafy New York City suburb they call home.

"I had a great time going around the city in the last couple of days just seeing a lot of old friends, meeting new people," she said.

It was not immediately clear how many of the 247 Democratic delegates and 44 so-called "superdelegates" up for grabs in New York will be accorded to Clinton.

There had been frustration over New York's strict rules governing the vote, particularly among independent voters not allowed to participate and who could have been expected to favor Sanders.

Voters and rights monitors also reported numerous irregularities including missing names from voter rolls. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has endorsed Clinton, called on the board of elections to fix the problems.

"The perception that numerous voters may have been disenfranchised undermines the integrity of the entire electoral process and must be fixed," he said.

State and city officials have also received formal complaints from voters who say they were improperly denied their vote.

Thousands cast provisional ballots which will only be counted if ordered by a judge responding to lawsuits filed by disenfranchised voters.

A New York voter hotline received more than 700 complaints by Tuesday afternoon local time, the Attorney General's office said.

jar/se (AP, AFP)