S 1870: Relates to the number of signatures for independent nominating petitions; decreases the number of signatures and votes to 15,000 signatures for statewide candidates and 50,000 votes to maintain party ballot status; changes the petition period to 12 weeks and the petitioning time to May-August.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1870 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. WALCZYK -- 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 the number of signa- tures for independent nominating petitions The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 6-142 of the election law, as 2 amended by section 9 of part ZZZ of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 1. An independent nominating petition for candidates to be voted for 5 by all the voters of the state must be signed by at least [forty-five] 6 fifteen thousand voters, or one percent of the total number of votes, 7 excluding blank and void ballots, cast for the office of governor at the 8 last gubernatorial election, whichever is less, of whom at least [five] 9 one hundred[,] or one percent of enrolled voters, whichever is less, 10 shall reside in each of one-half of the congressional districts of the 11 State. 12 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 1-104 of the election law, as amended by 13 section 10 of part ZZZ of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is amended to 14 read as follows: 15 3. The term "party" means any political organization which, excluding 16 blank and void ballots, at the last preceding election for governor 17 received, at least two percent of the total votes cast for its candidate 18 for governor, or [one hundred thirty] fifty thousand votes, whichever 19 [is greater] lesser, in the year in which a governor is elected and at 20 least two percent of the total votes cast for its candidate for presi- 21 dent, or [one hundred thirty] fifty thousand votes, whichever is [great- 22 er] lesser, in a year when a president is elected. 23 § 3. Subdivision 4 of section 6-138 of the election law, as amended by 24 chapter 88 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05514-01-5 
 S. 1870 2 1 4. [A signature made earlier than six weeks prior to the last day to 2 file independent petitions shall not be counted.] (a) A signature on an 3 independent petition for a special election made earlier than the date 4 of the proclamation calling the special election shall not be counted. 5 (b) Signatures for an independent petition for the general election 6 shall be collected during a twelve week period beginning the Monday 7 before Memorial day and ending the third Monday of August. No signature 8 for an independent petition for the general election shall be counted if 9 made prior to or after such period. 10 § 4. Subdivisions 9, 11 and 12 of section 6-158 of the election law, 11 as amended by chapter 164 of the laws of 2022, are amended to read as 12 follows: 13 9. A petition for an independent nomination for an office to be filled 14 at the time of a general election shall be filed not earlier than [twen- 15 ty-four] twenty-three weeks and not later than [twenty-three] six weeks 16 preceding such election. A petition for an independent nomination for an 17 office to be filled at a special election shall be filed not later than 18 twelve days following the issuance of a proclamation of such election, 19 provided however, such certificate shall be filed not later than nine 20 days following the issuance of a proclamation of a special election held 21 pursuant to paragraph b of subdivision three of section forty-two of the 22 public officers law. 23 11. A certificate of acceptance or declination of an independent nomi- 24 nation for an office to be filled at the time of a general election 25 shall be filed not later than [the third day after the twenty-third 26 Tuesday] seven weeks preceding such general election [except that a 27 candidate who files such a certificate of acceptance for an office for 28 which there have been filed certificates or petitions designating more 29 than one candidate for the nomination of any party, may thereafter file 30 a certificate of declination not later than the third day after the 31 primary election]. A certificate of acceptance or declination of an 32 independent nomination for an office to be filled at a special election 33 shall be filed not later than fourteen days following the issuance of a 34 proclamation of such election, provided however, such certificate shall 35 be filed not later than eleven days following the issuance of a procla- 36 mation of a special election held pursuant to paragraph b of subdivision 37 three of section forty-two of the public officers law. 38 12. A certificate to fill a vacancy caused by a declination of an 39 independent nomination for an office to be filled at the time of a 40 general election shall be filed not later than [the sixth day after the 41 twenty-third Tuesday] seven weeks preceding such election. A certificate 42 to fill a vacancy caused by a declination of an independent nomination 43 for an office to be filled at a special election shall be filed not 44 later than sixteen days following the issuance of a proclamation of such 45 election, provided however, such certificate shall be filed not later 46 than thirteen days following the issuance of a proclamation of a special 47 election held pursuant to paragraph b of subdivision three of section 48 forty-two of the public officers law. 49 § 5. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 6-158 of the election 50 law, as amended by chapter 164 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read 51 as follows: 52 (a) A certificate of a party nomination made other than at the primary 53 election for an office to be filled at the time of a general election 54 shall be filed not later than [thirty days after the primary election] 55 seven weeks preceding such general election, 56 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.