After years of lies and threats, and then the violence of January 2021, election 2024 is looking like the worst one yet. There have been two attempted assassinations of Republican candidate Donald Trump. Add to that the growing reports of threats of violence and actual attempts at harming poll workers.

These threats are the direct result of the toxic spewing that has marked the 2024 campaigns.

New York is considered a reliably “blue” state, one in which a Republican hasn’t won a statewide election in over two decades. Yet the threats are now brewing even here.

While few expect the presidential vote count to be close, the road to control of the House of Representatives may run through New York. It was, after all, the surprising performance of Republican Congressional candidates in New York that gave control of the House to the Republicans in 2022.

Thus, the House races in New York are considered top priorities for Democrats to win and Republicans to protect in 2024. That’s why New Yorkers – particularly those in the Hudson Valley, Long Island, and Syracuse – have been deluged with political ads, many of them incredibly negative.

As a result, New Yorkers now have to worry about their elections being the target of a plague of lies and threats.

Last week, the County Boards of Elections in Delaware and Schoharie stopped the use of outdoor ballot drop boxes by voters due to security concerns. According to the Times Union newspaper, Schoharie Board of Elections officials said it was because the drop box was not secured and was not under camera surveillance. The drop box was used in the 2022 general election and the June primary without issue. But the Board of Elections recently raised concerns about it and, after consulting with the state Board of Elections, placed the drop box into storage.

In Delaware County, the chair of the county Board of Supervisors directed the ballot drop box to be moved inside the Board of Elections “where it’s more secure. . . . And so people still use it.” Unfortunately, these moves make it a little bit harder to vote in those counties.

These actions may seem like relatively benign pranks, even though the freestanding ballot boxes had been used without incident in the past. However, going after ballot boxes has been a notable tactic nationwide for those looking to disrupt the election.

Threats cannot be ignored. The best response is to do all that can be done to protect poll workers and polling places. When these attacks occur, the rest of us have a duty to stand up for democracy, which means to vote.

The time to request a mail-in ballot has passed. If you have requested a mail in ballot, make sure you fill it out correctly and mail it in postmarked no later than November 5th. Return envelopes already include postage and the return address of your Board of Elections.

If you aren’t voting by mail, you have two options. The first is early voting and that period lasts through Nov. 3^rd. Polling hours may vary, and early voting sites may differ from Election Day voting sites. The best way to know the hours for early voting and the polling locations – which are often different from those used for the traditional Election Day – is to check with the State Board of Elections website.

The second option is to vote on the traditional Election Day, which is Tuesday November 5^th during the period 6 a.m. through 9 p.m. (remember if you have voted during the early voting period, or if you voted by mail, you cannot vote again during the General Election).

However, if any voter gets harassed at a polling place, or if there is some other difficulty, the New York State Attorney General runs an Election Protection Hotline that can help answer voters’ questions. The Attorney General’s hotline can be contacted at (866) 390-2992.

Voters being harassed or otherwise inconvenienced can also request election-related assistance at any time through the Attorney General’s online complaint form. The Election Protection Hotline is staffed during the early voting period from 9am until 6pm and on Election Day from 6am to 9pm.

It is beyond sad that Americans have to worry that a lunatic – sometimes violent – fringe amped up by campaign speeches and social media falsehoods have harmed our system of governance. There is no excuse for the hateful political speech and threats of violence that we are experiencing. But we can draw inspiration and comfort knowing that for hundreds of years the courage of prior generations has stood up to all sorts of evil – both foreign and domestic.

Now it’s our turn. Don’t let the haters win: vote.

While Election Day is still a couple of weeks away, voting has started here in New York. For those of you old enough to remember the days of the lever voting behind a “Wizard-of-Oz” curtain, casting your ballot in New York has changed a lot.

The lever machines are out, filling in the paper-ballot bubble is in. Nowadays scanning machines quickly tabulate the paper votes, leaving a physical document that has your vote, unlike the old days when no such record existed.

And that’s not the only thing that’s changed. Instead of only being able to vote on the first Tuesday in November, New Yorkers can vote during an early voting period and can now cast their choices through the mail.

As a result, New York votes are now more secure and casting a ballot is much easier. And New York has moved near the national average in the election participation.

This year, New Yorkers can choose one of three ways to vote:

• In person (during the early voting period or on Election Day);
• By requesting an absentee ballot (if you will be traveling or due to an illness); or
• New this year – by requesting an early voting mail-in ballot without needing to provide an excuse.

For those who are interested in voting through the mail, this is the last week to register to do so. The mail-in ballot (that does not require an excuse) is new, so if you would like to vote this way, here is how.

Request a mail-in ballot online or visit your local Board of Elections office.  Mail-in ballot applications must be received by the Board of Elections by this Saturday, October 26th.  Your ballot will be sent to you immediately after your application is received and processed.

If you are mailing in your ballot, when you have finished voting, fold the ballot and put it in the security envelope. Sign, date, and seal the security envelope. Put it in the return envelope and mail it, postmarked no later than November 5th. Return envelopes already include postage and the return address of your Board of Elections.

If you do not want to mail your ballot, you have a few options: Hand deliver it to your local county Board of Elections office by November 5th before 9 PM. Bring it to an early voting site in your county between October 26th and November 3rd (hours and locations vary by county). Or bring it to a poll site in your county on Election Day (November 5th before 9 PM).

Once you have mailed in your ballot, after a few days you can then track your early mail-in ballot online.

If you haven’t registered to vote, you still have time. This Saturday, October 26^th is also the voter registration deadline. If you are not sure if you are registered to vote, you can check your voter registration status online.  If you are not registered yet, you can register online or visit your local Board of Elections office to pick up a voter registration form. But don’t delay, as noted the voter registration deadline is October 26^th.

October 26^th is also the first day of early voting. Early voting lasts through Nov. 3^rd. Polling hours may vary, and early voting sites may differ from Election Day voting sites. The best way to know the hours of early voting and the polling locations – which are often different from those used for the traditional General Election Day – is to check with your local county board of elections.

Registered voters may cast ballots during early voting. In addition to checking their voter status, the State Board of Elections website will provide the location for early voting and Election Day polling places.

The General Election Day is Tuesday November 5^th during the period 6 a.m. through 9 p.m. (remember if you have voted during the early voting period, or if you voted by mail, you cannot vote again during the General Election).

However you choose to vote, when you have received your ballot, vote for the candidates of your choice on the front, and flip over your ballot to vote on the question(s) on the back (every voter will have a statewide ballot proposal, and your ballot may also include local ballot proposals from your municipal government).

Wherever you are along the partisan divide, over the next couple of weeks you have your opportunity to have your voice heard. You can vote by mail, cast a ballot early starting this Saturday, or vote on the traditional General Election Day, November 5^th. As the saying goes, not choosing is choosing. Vote.

Last week the New York State Commission on Legislative, Judicial, & Executive Compensation held a public hearing to accept comments on whether to increase the current compensation for the Legislature and the governor. The compensation levels recommended by the Commission will take effect unless changed by the Legislature and the governor. Since June 2015, the Commission consists of seven appointed members – three chosen by the Governor, one by the Senate Majority Leader, one by the Assembly Speaker, and two by the Chief Judge of the state’s highest court, one of whom serves as chair of the Commission.

The Commission is considering pay raises to the highest paid governor and state lawmakers in the nation. New York State legislators have a $142,000 salary, the highest in the country, and due to an ongoing legal challenge, the Commission may place no limits on outside income. New York’s Governor is also the highest paid in the U.S.

The current limits were set as part of an end-of-the-year and after-election decision in 2022, when the governor and the legislative leaders cobbled together a deal to raise their pay. That agreement also added one twist to satisfy an angry public: limits on how much income lawmakers could make from outside sources.

The rationale for the outside income limits was the principle that elected officials cannot “serve two masters.” They must be accountable to only one: the public that they serve.

The idea that “moonlighting” by elected officials should be limited is not unheard of. For example, the Congress has long had outside income limits. The Congressional system was an outgrowth of the Watergate scandal and has a proven track record of being effective in removing outside conflicts.

When the Congress adopted its system, it observed that:

“. . . substantial outside income creates at least the appearance of impropriety and thereby undermines public confidence in the integrity of government officials.”

In addition, the Congress bans income from any source for which the Congressmember has a “fiduciary” relationship. Being a “fiduciary” means putting the interests of your client ahead of your own. When you’re an elected official whose constituents’ interests are paramount, how do you do that when you have a legal duty to put your paying clients first? Can lawmakers serve two bosses? The clear answer is no.

The same potential conflicts that Congress addressed exist in Albany and the recent convictions of elected officials underscore how lucrative it can be for lawmakers to inappropriately use the powers of their public office for private gain. Beyond that, legislators routinely consider proposals that may have an impact on their outside business interests. A bright-line standard is therefore necessary.

Current law limits a Congressmember’s outside income to $31,800 above the applicable Congressional compensation rate.Notably, unlike the Congressional restrictions, the current New York State outside income limit does not ban income from activities in which the lawmaker has a fiduciary relationship with a client. As a result, New York’s stalled outside income restrictions are far weaker than the Congressional version and should be made stronger by the

Pay Commission – assuming that the courts ultimately allow the income ban to be in effect.

The outside income issue is not one for the Legislative branch alone.

New York’s statewide elected officials are paid at the highest rate in the nation, are full-time, and should not be allowed to do outside work. Yet, New Yorkers have seen that happen. The controversy surrounding former Governor Cuomo’s $5 million book deal underscores the need for meaningful restrictions on the outside income of the full-time, statewide elected officials (Governor, Attorney General and Comptroller).

Reviews by both the Assembly Judiciary Committee and the state ethics watchdog at the time, the Joint Commission On Public Ethics, alleged that the former governor pushed the staff of the ethics agency to approve the multi-million-dollar book deal and further alleged that the former governor used government resources in writing the book. Nothing of the sort should have been approved.

As the Pay Commission deliberates, it should recommend that any publishing contracts and other requests for outside income by members of the executive branch be subject to pre-approval by the full state ethics body – not staff – with the full text and conditions of approvals released to the public and prohibited if the publisher is doing business with the state.

New Yorkers know that providing reasonable compensation for public service is an important factor in making government work. Combating public cynicism, distrust and growing voter anger is as important a goal as identifying appropriate, defensible compensation levels.

That was the thinking when the governor and state lawmakers agreed to the current pay raises – making a clear linkage to restrictions on outside income. Until the legal challenge is concluded, the Commission should oppose pay increases for state legislators or statewide officials.

New Yorkers deserve elected officials whose only responsibility while in office is the public that they serve. Those elected to office cannot and should not serve two masters.

Last week, the Hochul Administration issued an edict that state agencies develop plans for a no-growth state budget for the next fiscal year. That order is typical: State agencies’ proposed budgets have been more or less frozen for years. Yet, the announcement by the Division of the Budget – the agency responsible for developing the governor’s executive budget – is an often overlooked first step in Albany’s annual budget “dance.”

The development of the governor’s budget plan goes on for months, with agencies’ budgets subject to review by the Division of the Budget, hearings on the plan, and then presentation to the Legislature in mid-January. The budget is supposed to be finalized by April 1^st. The current state spending plan budgeted nearly $240 billion.

The budget fight over next year’s plan will likely be intense. The budget forecast for the next three years predicts a cumulative three-year budget gap of $13.9 billion, with projected deficits of $2.3 billion next year, $4.3 billion the year after, and ballooning to $7.3 billion the year after that. Of course, these are all projections and are a relatively small percentage of the nearly one-quarter trillion-dollar state budget.

But the challenges will not end by addressing the potential revenue shortfalls.

Next year’s budget will face a myriad of other challenges. One is how will the state deal with the governor’s “pause” of New York City’s congestion pricing plan? The plan – which sets tolls for driving into parts of New York City – was supposed to go into effect at the end of June. The governor – citing concerns over costs – derailed the plan. She is expected to propose reducing the size of the congestion pricing tolls, but that will result in shortfalls in revenues that will have to be addressed in the state budget.

Another big item is education funding. Every year, how the state provides financial assistance to local school districts is a key component of the state’s final budget plan. The state’s assistance is allocated to districts based on a formula, known as Foundation Aid.

The current budget includes a measure calling for the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a public policy think tank housed at the State University of New York, to assess the state’s Foundation Aid education funding formula and discuss potential modifications to how the formula works. Any proposed changes to the existing system will undoubtedly cause a ruckus in this year’s budget debate.

Another issue will be how the state funds higher education.

Last year’s budget made significant changes to the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and made college financial assistance available to many more students. TAP is New York’s largest need-based college financial aid grant program. The aid is based on income – the less you make, the more aid you are eligible for. TAP is available to students in the State University of New York (SUNY), the City University of New York (CUNY), and the independent sector. Aid is available for students attending full-time, part-time and in non-degree programs.

In the current year’s budget agreement, for the first time in decades the state increased the income eligibility to $125,000 and increased the size of the minimum award from $500 to $1,000 – essentially updating those amounts to cover the loss in purchasing power due to inflation.

Unfortunately, the budget did not do enough to reverse the erosion of state assistance that has contributed to the decline of too many New York colleges and programs.  Despite the improvements to TAP, the state budget does not include an increase in the amount of the maximum award for the neediest students.  The maximum TAP award still does not cover the full tuition costs of students attending SUNY and CUNY.  

The budget contained, essentially, flatline funding for SUNY and CUNY.  Moreover, despite a growing financial crisis in the independent sector of higher education, the budget made a major cut in funding to the program providing state assistance to independent colleges and universities (Bundy Aid).

The failures in that budget plan will be a big debate in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.  Not only are New York’s colleges and universities important to educating the future civic and community leaders of tomorrow, they are important economic engines today.  Cuts to higher education, for both the public and independent sectors, harm the state’s economic vitality.  For example, CUNY graduates stay to work in New York at higher rates and studies have shown that for every $1 invested in SUNY, the economy reaps $8 in benefits. College should be affordable for all, providing access to one of the greatest economic equalizers for those who seek it. 

Of course, the necessary increases in the TAP program run headlong into the constraints of the budget shortfalls, as well as the likely spending hikes needed for mass transit for New York City, changes in education funding, and the rest of the state agencies’ spending. Yet, even with those pressures, investing in higher education – both in terms of affordability for students as well as assistance for the institutions themselves – will result in heightened economic activity and a more educated citizenry.

How the governor views the importance of those goals and balances funding priorities will soon be made clear in her January budget plan. At that point the budget dance will be front-and-center.