New York City's 'unprecedented' gay-marriage lottery

Mayor Bloomberg unveils a plan to avoid chaos on the first day same-sex marriage is legal — and angers some couples in the process

New York City's 'unprecedented' gay marriage lottery
(Image credit: Greg Hinsdale/CORBIS)

This Sunday, July 24, New York state's same-sex marriage law takes effect. Not surprisingly, New York City is being inundated with requests from gay couples who want to be married on the historic day. To quell fears that demand would overwhelm the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that a lottery system, which some are calling "unprecedented," will be used to select 764 lucky couples. How do the odds look for would-be newlyweds? Here, a brief guide:

Do they really need a lottery?

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