More than one-third of New York voters are frustrated enough with the state's politics they are considering moving out of the state, a poll released Tuesday by the non-partisan organization Unite NY.
The poll, conducted by John Zogby Strategies, provides some insight on the deepening frustration among voters in the state, which has seen a steady flow of outmigration over the last several decades.
“New Yorkers voting with their feet is what led to loss of one (and nearly a second) congressional seat as our state has the highest level of outmigration per capita of any in the country," said Martin Babinec, the founder of Unite NY. "This poll demonstrates that our state’s approach to public policy is at the heart of both outmigration and the lack of confidence in the political system. These issues cut across party lines and state geography with New Yorkers clamoring for more say in how their government operates, who will represent them, and for how long.”
The poll found nearly half of voters, 46%, believe the state is on the wrong track, with 37% saying it's on the right track. Two-thirds of voters, meanwhile, are supportive of opening primaries to voters who are not registered in a party. The poll also found more than 75% of voters would support term limits and changes to the campaign finance system.
The poll also found nearly 65% of voters are also considering leaving New York because of high taxes, as well as the regulatory and political environment.
Meanwhile, the poll found Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat seeking a full term this year, holding a 42 percentage point lead over New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. On the GOP side, Rep. Lee Zeldin draws 28% of the vote to Andrew Giuliani receiving 26%.
Hochul leads Zeldin in a general election matchup, 51% to 33%.
The poll of 1,000 New York voters was conducted from Jan. 20 to Jan. 21. It has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.