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Susan Lerner with Common Cause said in a statement that “New Yorkers deserve better,” and she urged Cuomo to take the lead to close a loophole in the campaign finance laws that allow donors to use limited liability companies to skirt contribution limits, to ban outside income for lawmakers and to increase oversight over state economic development programs.

But perhaps the most significant takeaway from yesterday's primary is that the bar for record-breaking, expectation-shattering turnout in New York remains stubbornly low. As Susan Lerner, the always on-brand executive director of Common Cause NY notes, a majority of eligible voters still did not vote in yesterday's primary, and an untold number of those who tried found their registrations mysteriously changed, if not entirely purged.

“This is a perennial problem,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of voting rights organization Common Cause New York. “It’s very hard to maintain an active voter roll, but in New York City it’s particularly challenging because of the large number of voters, the way people move around readily and the fact systems are not user friendly.”

With New Yorkers heading to the polls on Thursday for the gubernatorial primary, it’s a good time to reflect on the dreadful state of the supposedly progressive state’s voting laws. Despite a governor who pays lip service to the issue, New York seems determined to make it difficult for its citizens to cast ballots, forgoing the progress made in much of the rest of the country in recent years. Perhaps not coincidentally, New York has some of the lowest voting rates in America. Daily Intelligencer spoke briefly with Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause NY, about why New York’s antiquated rules are still with us today, and whether they might change anytime soon.

"It's all about what's best for the two political parties," said Susan Lerner, executive director of the watchdog group Common Cause New York. "They have no concern for the voter."

But perhaps the most illuminating moment of the night came when moderator Brian Lehrer handed the mic to Common Cause Executive Director Susan Lerner, who asked how the future attorney general should use the powers of the office to protect voting rights in the state. None of the candidates seemed ready with a coherent response (Teachout, who referenced the state's lawsuit over the voter purge in Brooklyn last year, got closest.) "I'm afraid not all the candidates answered the question that was asked," lamented Lerner.