ALBANY — More than half of New Yorkers believe the unresolved State Senate leadership fight is an embarrassment and the vast majority thinks it will be difficult for important legislation to be addressed before the 2009 session ends, a new poll has found.

Whether it is the Senate, low approval for Gov. David A. Paterson or a general malaise over the economy, 63 percent of New Yorkers say the state is headed in the wrong direction, the Siena College Research Institute reports this morning.

Only 24 percent believe the state is on the right track. Seventy-seven percent of upstate residents say New York is going the wrong way, while only 50 percent of New York City voters are pessimistic about the direction.

"Voters think the situation in the Senate is bad, overwhelmingly," said Steve Greenberg, a spokesman for the Siena poll.

The Senate returns today amid more uncertainty over whether it will be able to get enough members in the chamber's chairs to have a quorum so dozens of important bills can be passed. Democrats have boycotted the chamber since a June 8 coup that restored Republicans to power; one of two Democrats later left the coup so the Senate is at a 31-31 stalemate. It takes 32 votes to approve bills and to get a quorum.

Sixty-one percent of voters think the leadership fight is bad, compared with 21 percent who have a favorable view of the situation.

Asked to line up with a statement on the fight, 52 percent chose: "This farce is an embarrassment." Another 31 percent backed a statement not much more positive sounding: "This is business as usual in New York politics." Only 12 percent called it "true democracy."

But 84 percent said they think it will now be harder to pass important legislation before the 2009 session ends because of the Senate revolt. The session is supposed to end today, but lawmakers plan on being in town all this week.

Of all the issues pollsters outlined to voters as being on the table in Albany, the issue of property tax relief soared to the top. Seventy-six percent called it very important that property taxes be addressed and 18 percent called it somewhat important. Sixty-seven percent said reforming state government ethics is very important.

In the new poll, 50 percent back gay marriage rights, compared with 43 percent opposing. In Siena's April poll, 53 percent of voters favored a law legalizing the right compared with 39 percent opposed. In May, there was a 46-46 percent tie.

The Senate's rating has dropped with the squabble. Sixty-two percent have an unfavorable view of the 62-member chamber, compared with 43 percent in February. Forty-seven percent view the Assembly unfavorably.

The poll found 49 percent of voters would like to see a coalition from both parties controlling the Senate.

While for the past two weeks the Senate fight has gotten major play in newspapers, radio and television stories around the state, 32 percent of voters say they have not heard or read anything about it. The least interested? Those ages 18 to 34 years old, 57 percent of whom say they have not heard or read any stories about the Albany drama.

Paterson's approval rating, meanwhile, inched up to 31 percent, compared with 57 percent who view him unfavorably. A month ago, 27 percent viewed him favorably. Still, 70 percent would prefer that someone other than Paterson run for governor next year.