ALBANY -- State Republicans want to remove three candidates from the Feb. 5 presidential primary ballot in a way that could give former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, their preferred candidate, a higher profile, according to published reports.

GOP staffers sent an amended ballot to county election boards on Friday. It removes Former Sen. Fred Thompson and Rep. Duncan Hunter — both of whom dropped out in the past week — and activist Alan Keyes, who Republicans say never submitted a list of delegates, according to a report in Saturday's New York Daily News.

Doug Kellner, one of two Democratic state Board of Elections members, told the Daily News that dropping out isn't legal grounds for removing candidates from the ballot, and board members were never consulted on the decision.

"Apparently the Republicans did this in secret," he said.

An earlier lottery set the order for the New York ballot. It was to be: Ron Paul on top, followed by Keyes, Hunter, Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Thompson.

The proposed ballot would move Giuliani from fourth to second place.

New York City's election board on Friday balked at the notice and deadlocked in a 4-4 party line vote. Steve Richman, the city board's Democratic counsel, told Newsday that Republicans cannot remove candidates without a full state board vote.

Bob Brehm, a spokesman for the state board, said the law is silent on whether party leaders can remove names, particularly without giving a reason.