Before running for the office of councilmember, all candidates must go through the process of filing a volume of designating petitions. This week, The Queens Courier offers its readers a petition primer and a look into the Council races throughout Queens…
Today marks the last day for potential candidates to submit petitions allowing candidates to be included on the ballot for City Council.
Those running for City Council will be pitted against a predominately freshman Council, seeking re-election for the first time.
The mad rush to gather signatures began during the first week of June and all petitions must be filed by July 10which in many cases, is easier said than done.
A registered party member interested in running for City Council needs signatures from 5% of the enrolled party within the district he or she is running in. Endorsement by the County Executive Committeewhich is comprised of a county chairperson, state committee and district leaders for the partyis not nearly enough. In the past, local politicians have lobbied to get rid of the cumbersome designating petition process, because they say that becoming a county candidate is sufficient. However, no new rules have been passed.
People who sign the petitions must belong to the same party as the prospective candidate. After all of the signatures are gathered, theyre presented to the Board of Elections. But thats only the beginning.
A potential candidates opponents have the opportunity to file objections to the petitionsthe desired outcome being to knock the challenger off the ballot. By offering sufficient proof that signatures were obtained under false pretense or by demonstrating that the required number of signatures was not met, results in a candidate being removed from consideration for the ballot. Copies of voter registration cards (known as "buff" cards) can be purchased from the Board of Elections in order to compare signatures. Objectors have three days to file general objections once a petition has been filed and then six days following that to file specific objections.
