So you think you can solve your community’s problems? You want to run for public office?
A candidate for office, says the New York State Board of Elections, is anyone who declares an interest in public office, such as a write-in candidate, or who gets nominated by a party, is trying to get nominated by a party or raises money to seek a nomination or votes.
The next step is getting your name on the ballot. But how does one do that?
Working your way onto the ballot
The process of getting your name on the ballot depends on which office you wish to run for. Here is a breakdown of each type:
Statewide office: These offices include state senators or assembly members. The political party for a particular jurisdiction will come together and designate a candidate. For example, the Onondaga County Democratic or Republican parties will designate their candidates for state senators or state assembly for the districts in the county. The designated candidate is then responsible for getting a required number of signatures, depending on the office, on a petition to get the candidate’s name on the ballot as the party’s nominee. The political party helps its designated candidates collect the petition signatures. If the threshold of signatures is met, that candidate qualifies to have his or her name on the ballot.
A candidate who does not get the official party designation can still circulate a petition to try to gather the appropriate number of signatures to be on the ballot as the party’s candidate. If the candidate succeeds in getting enough signatures, that forces a primary election.
A primary is an election that takes place prior to the general election. It gives all voters registered with a political party the chance to vote for the candidate they wish to represent their party. This usually takes place in September. The candidate with the most votes will be the one to appear on the ballot for the general election in November.
Villages or towns: These offices include town councilors and justices. Smaller jurisdictions most commonly hold a caucus to designate candidates. A caucus is a meeting of all party members in that particular jurisdiction. It accomplishes the same purpose as the primary, offering party members an opportunity to vote and nominate a candidate.
In a town with a population greater than 750,000 people, “party nominations of candidates for town offices shall be made at the primary preceding the election,” according to the New York State Board of Elections on its website. Towns with a population below 750,000 are to have a caucus or primary election, according to the rules of that particular county committee.
Parties that hold a caucus for nominations of candidates are required to post public notices of the meeting.
How many signatures do I need for a designating petition?
The number varies depending on the office you wish to run for. So here are some of the guidelines as defined in the State of New York Election Law:
Office for which all voters of the state can vote, such as governor: either 15,000 or 5 percent – whichever is less — of the enrolled voters of that party in the state.
Any other political unit or district, such as a county: signatures of 5 percent of the enrolled voters of the party living in the area served by the political office, such as a state senator.
What if I am a member of a smaller political party?
You’re in luck! There is still a way to get your name on the ballot.
A party, as recognized by the New York State Board of Elections, is “a political organization that ran a candidate in the last gubernatorial election who garnered at least 50,000 votes.” Six groups currently meet that qualification:
- Democrat
- Republican
- Conservative
- Working Families
- Green
If you are a member of another organization but still wish to try and get your name on the ballot, you can circulate a petition to acquire signatures. The number of signatures needed varies depending on the office you wish to run for.
Candidates wishing to run on an independent nomination — without the support of a party — must gather more signatures than a candidate trying to get the designation from one of the six recognized parties. But some one seeking an independent nomination has an advantage: those signatures can be from anyone, regardless of their party affiliation. But candidates seeking a designation from one of the six recognized parties can only gather signatures from voters within their own party.
The number of signatures for an independent candidate varies depending on the office the person is seeking.
What about a write-in vote?
You can always vote for anyone you want, even if a person’s name does not appear on the ballot. This is called a write-in vote, which stems from the physical act of writing down a person’s name on the ballot.
Useful resources
As you think about running for office, here are a some helpful websites:
General candidate information from the New York State Board of Elections: http://www.elections.ny.gov/CFCandidate.html – What
Petition information from the New York State Board of Elections: http://www.elections.ny.gov/RunningOffice.html
Election law for the state of New York:
http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/law/2008NYElectionLaw.pdf
Write-in votes: http://www.nysthirdparty.com/how.html
(Michael Cohen is a senior majoring in newspaper journalism.)
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