What's happening
This bill requires candidate petitions to include the district number, if applicable, for designated and nominating petitions in New York.
Why it matters
Improves clarity and transparency for voters and election officials. by requiring candidate petitions to explicitly list district numbers, helping avoid confusion when offices are divided into districts (such as city council, state legislature, or village boards).
Reduces the risk of petition challenges or disqualifications. due to missing or unclear district information, which can currently be grounds for rejecting a candidate’s petition—even if the candidate is otherwise qualified.
Promotes consistency and standardization. across all types of candidate petitions (including party, independent, and village elections), making it easier to verify that candidates are running for the correct office and minimizing administrative errors.
Supports voter confidence and informed choice. by ensuring that petition signers and the public understand exactly which district and office a candidate is seeking, reducing the potential for misrepresentation or honest mistakes in the electoral process.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Update Petition Signature Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by A3422
- Ordered to third reading cal.2114
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to elections
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Update Petition Requirements
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Sandy Galef
Full text
7 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1421
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to designating and nominating petitions
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 6-132 of the election law, as amended by chapter 235 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
1. Each sheet of a designating petition shall be signed in ink and shall contain the following information and shall be in substantially the following form:
I, the undersigned, do hereby state that I am a duly enrolled voter of the.................... party and entitled to vote at the next primary election of such party, to be held on..............., 20...; that my place of residence is truly stated opposite my signature hereto, and I do hereby designate the following named person (or persons) as a candidate (or candidates) for the nomination of such party for public office or for election to a party position of such party.
Public Office
or party position Place of Residence Names of (include district number, (also post office address, candidates if applicable) if not identical) ............ ................ ......................... ............ ................ .........................
I do hereby appoint .............................. (insert the names and addresses of at least three persons, all of whom shall be enrolled voters of said party) as a committee to fill vacancies in accordance with the provisions of the election law.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, the day and year placed opposite my signature.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01274-01-7
S. 1421 2
Date Name of Signer Residence ............ .............. ......................... ............ .............. .........................
Town or city (except
in the city of New
York, the county)
..................
..................
§ 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 6-140 of the election law, as amended by chapter 235 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
a. Each sheet of an independent nominating petition shall be signed in ink, shall contain the following information and shall be in substantially the following form:
I, the undersigned, do hereby state that I am a registered voter of the political unit for which a nomination for public office is hereby being made, that my present place of residence is truly stated opposite my signature hereto, and that I do hereby nominate the following named person (or persons) as a candidate (or as candidates) for election to public office (or public offices) to be voted for at the election to be held on the ............ day of ................, 20...., and that I select the name ............................ (fill in name) as the name of the independent body making the nomination (or nominations) and ................ (fill in emblem) as the emblem of such body.
Public Place of residence
Office (also post office Name of (include district address Candidate number, if applicable) if not identical) .......... ................. .......................... .......... ................. .......................... I do hereby appoint ............................. (here insert the names and addresses of at least three persons, all of whom shall be registered voters within such political unit), as a committee to fill vacancies in accordance with the provisions of the election law.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, the day and year placed opposite my signature.
Date Name of Signer Residence ...... ................ ....................... ...... ................ .......................
Town or city (except
in the city of New
York, the county)
.......................
.......................
§ 3. Subdivision 1 of section 6-204 of the election law, as amended by chapter 447 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
1. Party designations for elective village offices shall be made on a designating petition containing the signatures in ink of residents of the village who are registered to vote with the appropriate county board of elections at the time of signing and who are enrolled in such political party. The sheets of such a petition shall be numbered. A signer need not himself or herself fill in the date or residence. Each sheet of
S. 1421 3
such petition must be in substantially the following form and shall contain all the information required therein:
PARTY DESIGNATING PETITION
I, the undersigned do hereby state that I am a registered voter of the Village of ............. and a duly enrolled voter of the ............. party and entitled to vote at the next primary election of such party, that my place of residence is truly stated opposite my signature hereto, and I hereby designate the following named person (or persons) as a candidate or (candidates) for nomination of such party for the public office or (public offices) to be voted for at the primary election to be held on the ...... day of ............ 20.... as hereinafter specified.
Public Office
(include district
number,
Name of Candidate if applicable) Term Residence
.................... ................. .......... ............
.................... ................. .......... ............
I do hereby appoint (insert names and addresses of at least three persons, all of whom shall be enrolled voters of said party) as a committee to fill vacancies in accordance with the provisions of the election law.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, the day and year placed opposite my signature.
Date Name Residence
............. ............. ...............
............. ............. ...............
STATEMENT OF WITNESS
I ............... (name of witness) state: I am a duly qualified voter of the State of New York; and an enrolled voter of the ......... party and now reside in the Village of ......... County of ......... State of New York at ............ (residence address) therein. Each of the persons whose names are subscribed to this petition sheet containing ......... signatures, subscribed his or her name in my presence.
I understand that this statement will be accepted for all purposes as the equivalent of an affidavit and, if it contains a material false statement, shall subject me to the same penalties as if I had been duly sworn.
........................ .................................
Date Signature of witness
In lieu of the signed statement of a witness who is a duly qualified voter of the state qualified to sign the petition, the following statement signed by a notary public shall be accepted:
On the dates above indicated before me personally came each of the voters whose signatures appear on this petition sheet containing ............. (fill in number) signatures, who signed same in my pres-
S. 1421 4
ence and who, being by me duly sworn, each for himself or herself, said that the foregoing statement made and subscribed by him or her, was true. Date..................
...............................
(Signature and official title
of officer administering oath)
Page No........
§ 4. Subdivision 1 of section 6-206 of the election law, as amended by chapter 447 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
1. Independent nominations for elective village offices shall be made by a petition containing the signatures in ink of residents of the village who are registered with the appropriate county board of elections at the time of signing. The sheets of such a petition shall be numbered. A signer need not himself or herself fill in the date or residence. Each sheet of such petition must be in substantially the following form and shall contain all the information required therein:
VILLAGE INDEPENDENT NOMINATING PETITION
I, the undersigned, do hereby state that I am a registered voter of the Village of......., that my present place of residence is truly stated opposite my signature, and I do hereby nominate the following named person (or persons) as a candidate (or as candidates) for election to public office (or public offices) to be voted for at the election to be held on the.....day of........, 20....., and that I select the name........... (fill in name) as the name of the independent body making the nomination (or nominations) and.....(fill in emblem) as the emblem of such body.
Name of
Candidate Public Office Term Residence
(include district
number, if applicable)
............. .................... .... ...............
............. .................... .... ...............
I do hereby appoint (insert names and addresses of at least three persons, all of whom shall be registered voters within such village) as a committee to fill vacancies in accordance with the provisions of the election law.
In witness whereof, I have signed this petition on the day and year stated before my signature.
Date Signature Residence
.......... ................. ...................
.......... ................. ...................
STATEMENT OF WITNESS
I, ..................... state that I am a duly qualified voter and now reside at ...................... (residence address) in the Village of ................ in the State of New York in the County of ................. . Each of the voters whose names are subscribed to
S. 1421 5
this petition sheet containing ................ (fill in number) signatures, subscribed his or her name in my presence.
I understand that this statement will be accepted for all purposes as the equivalent of an affidavit and, if it contains a material false statement, shall subject me to the same penalties as if I had been duly sworn. ....................... ..............................
Date Signature of witness
§ 5. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 and subdivision 4 of section 15-108 of the election law, as amended by chapter 447 of the laws of 2006, are amended to read as follows:
a. Party designations for elective village offices shall be made on a designating petition containing the signatures in ink of residents of the village who are registered to vote with the appropriate county board of elections at the time of signing and who are enrolled in such political party. The sheets of such a petition shall be numbered. Such petition must set forth in each instance the correct date of signing, the name of the signer, and his or her present address, and may set forth a committee to fill vacancies consisting of at least three qualified voters of the village enrolled in such party and their residence within the village. A signer need not himself or herself fill in the date or residence. Each sheet of such petition must be in substantially the following form and shall contain all the information required therein:
PARTY DESIGNATING PETITION
I, the undersigned do hereby state that I am a registered voter of the Village of ...... and a duly enrolled voter of the ........ party and entitled to vote at the next primary election of such party, that my place of residence is truly stated opposite my signature hereto, and I hereby designate the following named person (or persons) as a candidate (or candidates) for nomination of such party for the public office (or public offices) to be voted for at the primary election to be held on the ...... day of ........... 20.... as hereinafter specified.
Public Office
(include district
number, if
Name of Candidate applicable) Term Residence
.................... ................. ....... ...............
.................... ................. ....... ...............
I do hereby appoint (insert names and addresses of at least three persons, all of whom shall be enrolled voters of said party) as a committee to fill vacancies in accordance with the provisions of the election law.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand, the day and year placed opposite my signature.
Date Name Residence
............. ............. ...............
............. ............. ...............
S. 1421 6
STATEMENT OF WITNESS
I ............... (name of witness) state: I am a duly qualified voter of the State of New York; and an enrolled voter of the ......... party and now reside in the Village of ......... County of ......... State of New York at ............ (residence address) therein. Each of the persons whose names are subscribed to this petition sheet containing ......... signatures, subscribed his or her name in my presence.
I understand that this statement will be accepted for all purposes as the equivalent of an affidavit and, if it contains a material false statement, shall subject me to the same penalties as if I had been duly sworn.
....................... ...........................
Date Signature of Witness
page no. .........
4. Independent nominations for elective village offices shall be made by a petition containing the signatures in ink of residents of the village who are registered with the appropriate county board of elections at the time of signing or who are residents of the village who were on the list of registered voters for the last village election in such village. The sheets of such a petition shall be numbered. Such petition must set forth in each instance the correct date of signing, the name of the signer and his or her present address, and may set forth a committee to fill vacancies consisting of at least three persons qualified to vote in the village election and their residence within the village. A signer need not himself or herself fill in the date or residence. Each sheet of such petition must be in substantially the following form and shall contain all the information required therein except as may otherwise be permitted by law.
VILLAGE INDEPENDENT NOMINATING PETITION
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the election law, in relation to designating and nominating petitions
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation clarifies the requirements for designating and nominating petitions.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 6-132 of the Election Law is amended by adding a space to include a district number, if applicable, on each sheet of a Designating Petition.
Section 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 6-140 of the Election Law is amended by adding the directive to "include a district number, if applicable" on each sheet of an Independent Nominating Petition.
Section 3. Subdivision 1 of section 6-204 of the Election Law is amended by adding the directive "include a district number, if applicable" on a Party Designating Petition for elective village offices.
Section 4. Subdivision 1 of section 6-206 of the Election Law is amended by adding the directive "include district number, if applicable" on the petition for a Village Independent Nominating Petition.
Section 5. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 and subdivision 4 of section 15-108 of the Election Law is amended by adding the directive to "include district number, if applicable".
Section 6. Establishes the effective date.
Justification
The decision to vote is intrinsically linked to the choice of candidates on the ballot. The right to become a candidate in an election is as important as the right to vote. An individual can petition to become a candidate. However, many petitions have been invalidated because the public office -the title of the office and geographic boundaries (the district number)-was not clearly identified in the petition. For example, in the matter of Osaretin Ighile versus Board of Elections in the City of New York, the Supreme Court declined to validate the petition because the description of public office was deemed inadequate; the district number was not on the petition. This legislation intends to clarify the information that is required on each sheet of the petition. By creating a designation for the geographic boundaries on the sample petitions provided by the New York State Board of Elections, individuals will be aware of what the required information is, and thus be better able to participate in the democratic process as candidates.
Prior legislative history
This is new legislation.
Fiscal implications
There are no fiscal implications associated with this legislation.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
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