To run for statewide office in New York, a major party candidate needs 15,000 signatures to get on the ballot. An independent candidate needs 45,000.
It wasn’t always that way. Until 2020, the requirement was the same for everyone.
New Yorkers don’t think the change was fair. In our latest Voter Empowerment Index, 82% of New York voters said independent candidates should face the same—or lower—signature requirement as major party candidate
Editor’s Note: The changes were made under former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and were placed in the state budget. State legislators were forced to vote yes or no on the entire budget plan, which included this ridiculous item. No legislators stood up to the Governor on this.
The reason? Sex in the City actress Cynthia Nixon was running against Cuomo for Governor and had the support of the Working Families Party line. Cuomo wanted to punish the WFP and so he basically killed all smaller political parties in NY at the same time. And the WFP remains active.
In 2024, New Yorkers were unable to vote for a 3rd-party candidate for President. The only two candidates on the ballot were Trump, on the R and C lines, and Harris, on the D and WFP lines.