Harvard students joined Cantabrigians at the polls yesterday, marking their choices for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations.

From 6:30 a.m. on, dozens of volunteers and elected vote watchers staffed the seven polling locations in mid-Cambridge--the Putnam Apartments on Putnam Ave., Quincy House, the Friends' Center on Mt. Auburn Street, Gund Hall, 29 Garden Street, the Agassiz School and the Peabody School. The polls closed at 8 p.m.

According to local precinct committee-persons, turnout held between 25 to 30 percent in the area around Harvard.

Massachusetts state election administrators had predicted a statewide turnout of more than 40 percent.

The Commonwealth has an open primary system, meaning that independents can vote for candidates of any party.

Although Vice President Al Gore '69 won big in the state as a whole, early returns indicated that Cambridge voters supported former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley.

"I voted for Bradley, partly because I agree with his policies,[but] I also like and respect his character," said Sarah T. Evans, a graduate student at the Harvard Medical School. "I'm not confident he'll win, but I think it's important for Gore to know that not all Democrats are behind him."

Said David I. L. Beecher '00, "I chose [Bradley] over Gore because he's not in the pocket of as many industries."