Senator May Announces Passage of her Bill to Reduce Petition Signatures for 2021 Candidates

Syracuse, NY - Senator Rachel May (D-Onondaga, Madison, Oneida) is proud to announce the passage of her bill (S.2733) which reduces the number of petition signatures a candidate needs to appear on the ballot in the 2021 election cycle.  

In 2020, the COVID-19 public health crisis necessitated a temporary reduction in the number of signatures required for designating petitions for candidates. The Governor signed an Executive Order reducing the number by 70%. Again in 2021, the continuing health crisis necessitates addressing the designating process. Petitioning in the 2021 election cycle will begin in late February, as COVID-19 numbers continue to pose serious threat to public health. To address this concern, Senator May introduced a bill that would again temporarily reduce the number of required signatures by 70%. This will allow candidates to organize their campaigns, print their petitions, and collect voters' signatures while respecting public health guidelines. 

“Over the last two years, the Legislature has taken bold action to make it easier for New Yorkers to vote and to have their votes counted,” said Senator May. “Now we also need to make sure that candidates can get on the ballot in the midst of a pandemic. The normal process, in which campaign volunteers go door to door collecting petition signatures, goes against all health guidelines at this time. Therefore, I am pleased to sponsor this bill to reduce the number of signatures needed in 2021 to a level that can protect public safety while still respecting the requirement that candidates demonstrate initiative and broad support in order to secure a ballot line.”
 

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