BUFFALO, N.Y. — The big question in Buffalo today: Who will be the Erie County Sheriff after the election?

Sheriff Tim Howard has been in office since 2005 but Bernie Tolbert has been campaigning for a change.

Both have law enforcement experience. Both also have faced accusations of sexual harassment.

Tolbert, a Democrat, was named in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against the NBA from the time when he served as the league’s head of security. The case was settled by the league.

Howard, a Republican, is being sued, along with the county and four other defendants, by a female employee who claims she was subjected to harassment, employment discrimination and retaliation while working at the Erie County Holding Center in 2007.

Voters are also selecting the next Erie County Clerk, choosing between Mickey Kearns, running as a Republican, and Democrat Steve Cichon.

Kearns is currently serving as a Democratic Assemblyman and has centered his campaign on addressing so-called zombie properties.

Cichon is the former news director at WBEN running in his first campaign and says his outsider status would bring a fresh perspective to the office.

The county hasn’t had a county clerk since Chris Jacobs was elected to the state Senate last year.   

Erie County voters also will cast a ballot for county comptroller. 

Voters in Buffalo have four choices for mayor: incumbent Byron Brown and challengers Anita Howard, Terrence Robinson and Mark Schroeder. 

They’re also going to the ballot box to determine whether the state should host a Constitutional Convention in 2019. That item is on the back of the ballot, along with a proposal to amend the constitution that would allow an elected official to lose all or part of their pension if convicted of a felony directly linked to their job. The third proposal, also on the back of the ballot, would allow municipalities in the Adirondacks and Catskills to add bike trails, sewer and utility lines along roads in the state's forest preserve. 

If voters have any difficulties casting their ballot today, they're being instructed to call a special hotline established by State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to report the issue. 

By calling 1-800-771-7755, or sending an email to civil.right@ag.ny.gov, voters will speak with a member of the attorney general's office who can provide assistance. The hotline, established in 2012 as part of Schneiderman's effort to reduce barriers to voting, will be open until 9 p.m.