The Steuben County Board of Elections (BOE) held a public training earlier this month for anyone interested in running for local elected office in 2025. The training went over how to fill out and file designating petitions and collect signatures in order to appear on the ballot.
Designating petitions are among the first steps to running for elected office. They are used for candidates affiliated with a political party. There are only four designating parties in New York state: Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Working Families.
The county BOE held a similar workshop in 2023.
“We're just trying to be more proactive,” said Vicky Olin, the county Board of Elections’ Republican commissioner. “[We try] to reach out to the community to make sure that the public understands the process and give them the information. We do not enjoy ruling petitions invalid and throwing things out.”
Olin said the BOE has thrown out 10 designating petition packets in the past, rendering those collected signatures invalid and the candidates ineligible for that year’s election.
There are several reasons why a petition can be invalidated, such as if the party affiliation or primary election date is left blank at the top of the form. An incorrect or blank office seat for which the candidate is running, as well as where that position is located (Steuben County legislator, Bath town supervisor, Corning city mayor), can also result in an invalid petition.
The witness section can also leave room for error and render a designating petition invalid. If a witness is not present when a signature is collected, leaves the number of signatures collected blank, or is not registered to the party for which they are collecting signatures, this will cause the petition to be discarded.
A challenge by a member of the public for any part of the designating petitions results in an audit of the forms for that candidate. If there are any discrepancies, the full set of collected signatures can be rendered invalid and discarded.
There are approximately 179 local offices up for election this year in Steuben County, according to Olin.
Each elected office, whether it is for county, town or city positions, requires a different amount of signatures per designating petition. The county BOE provides a list of registered voters for the purpose of canvassing petitions. This list will be available with up-to-date voter information on Feb. 20.
“We have done everything we possibly can to give them the correct information for them to do what they need to do for their petitions to be valid,” said Olin.
Candidates running as an independent should contact the county BOE office for specific petition paperwork.
If a candidate is not registered for any particular party affiliation, the candidate cannot run on a designating petition unless they have party approval.
If anyone would like to change party affiliation, it can be changed at the county BOE until Feb. 14 or after July 1.
Local candidates can pick up designating petition packets at the Steuben County Board of Elections—in person or online.
Collecting petition signatures begins Feb. 25. The last day to file petitions is April 3. Primary elections will be held on June 24 and the general election will be held on Nov. 4.