Bill > S06996

This bill modifies the New York State Election Law specifically for the year 2026, adjusting the dates for filing designating petitions (formal documents used to nominate candidates for political office) and collecting signatures for those petitions. For the 2026 election year, the bill changes the filing window for designating petitions to be between the thirteenth and twelfth Monday before the primary election, which is different from the standard timeline. Additionally, the bill stipulates that for signatures to be valid in 2026, they must be collected within a specific timeframe: no earlier than forty-one days before the last day to file designating petitions and no later than the twelfth Thursday preceding the primary election. The legislation is temporary, taking effect on January 1, 2026, and automatically expiring on December 31, 2026, after which the election law will revert to its previous provisions. This targeted, time-limited change appears to be designed to modify petition filing procedures for a specific election cycle.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6996