Around here they ask city and county workers to volunteer to be election judges and the county pays them.
Really? Wow! We have paid, trained election staff with an election commissioner of each party that must show up when called at any election. Yes, NY spends a lot, but in voting, as bad as it’s gotten, I think it’s worth it.
Our problem is as a state we’ve gone off the rails blue. Mostly all legal, but NYC votes Dem. Local elections are much more red.