They’ve crisscrossed the Garden State looking for every vote for a primary election that traditionally draws an anemic turnout. Tuesday, Republicans Steve Lonegan and Chris Christie will find out who has the staying power to face Governor Jon Corzine in the general election.

For Christie, the centrist former federal prosecutor, ignoring his conservative opponent has become a full time job.

But he’s been forced to address Lonegen’s claims the Republican Party has gone soft, and his push for a flat tax.

“These are the businesses we are driving out of the state everyday,” Lonegan said. “Under my flat tax proposal, a wage earner making $20,000 will still pay less taxes than they would in New York and Pennsylvania,” Lonegan said.

“Couple that makes $80,000 a year will pay 40 percent higher taxes under Steve Lonegan’s plan,” Christie said.

With a healthy lead in the polls, Christie has often turned his attention to Corzine, and a recent flurry of attack ads.

“They want to attack me attack me I have broad shoulders you know why they’re anxious to do it because they’re not anxious to talk about Jon Corzine’s record and if I were them I wouldn’t be either,” Christie said.

There are slightly more than 1 million Republicans registered to vote in New Jersey, up by 21 percent from the last gubernatorial primary four years ago. Registered Democrats number about 1.8 million, an increase of 55 percent from 2005. The state’s 2.4 million unaffiliated voters can also take part in the primary if they register with a party when voting today.

However, past primaries have been marked by low turnout. In 2005, just under 580,000 people — or 12 percent of those registered — turned out to vote. It’s been 20 years since as many as one-fifth of New Jersey’s eligible voters cast ballots in a gubernatorial primary.

Also on the ballot today are primary elections in all 40 state Assembly districts, as well as a special state Senate primary in one district: the 23rd in Hunterdon and Warren counties.

There are contested Assembly primaries in only 21 of the districts, with Republican candidates facing opponents in 13 races and Democrats in nine. One district, the 4th in Camden and Gloucester counties, has contests in both parties’ primaries.

The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. Voters can find their polling place online at njelections.org.

The day will also have significance for candidates who aren’t Republican or Democrat: It is the filing deadline for third-party hopefuls seeking to run for governor or the Legislature in the fall.

(Source: WCBSTV / NJ Star Ledger)