New York Petition Signature Requirements (2026)
How many signatures you need to qualify for the ballot in New York, the 2026 petition filing windows, and how to validate your signatures against the New York voter file.
Signature requirements by office
| Office | Minimum signatures | % of enrolled voters |
|---|---|---|
| State Comptroller | 15,000 | 5% |
| U.S. Senator | 15,000 | 5% |
| Governor, Lieutenant Governor | 15,000 | 5% |
| Attorney General | 15,000 | 5% |
| U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative | 15,000 | 5% |
| U.S. Representative | 1,250 | 5% |
| State Senator | 1,000 | 5% |
| State Senator, State Representative | 1,000 | 5% |
| State Representative | 500 | 5% |
2026 petition deadlines
State Comptroller; Attorney General; U.S. Representative; State Senator; State Representative
- Primary petition opens:
- February 24, 2026
- Primary petition deadline:
- April 2, 2026
- General petition opens:
- May 11, 2026
- General petition deadline:
- May 18, 2026
- Primary election:
- June 23, 2026
- General election:
- November 3, 2026
U.S. Senator; Governor, Lieutenant Governor; State Senator, State Representative
- Primary petition opens:
- February 24, 2026
- Primary petition deadline:
- April 2, 2026
- Primary election:
- June 23, 2026
- General election:
- November 3, 2026
U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative
- Primary petition opens:
- February 24, 2026
- Primary petition deadline:
- April 2, 2026
- General petition opens:
- May 26, 2026
- General petition deadline:
- August 25, 2026
- Primary election:
- June 23, 2026
- General election:
- November 3, 2026
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Start validating freeNew York petition rules & details
Primary petition — signature rules
For statewide races: 15,000 signatures with at least 100 or 5% of enrolled party voters from each of one-half of the state's congressional districts [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
Primary petition — deadline rules
Designating petitions must be filed between the 13th Monday prior to the primary election and 12th Thursday before the primary [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
General petition — signature rules
Independent candidates need 45,000 signatures with at least 500 or 5% of enrolled voters from each of one-half of the state's congressional districts [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
General petition — deadline rules
Independent nomination petitions filed not earlier than 24 weeks and not later than 23 weeks preceding the general election [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
Primary petition — signature rules
For statewide federal races: 5% of enrolled party members statewide or 15,000 signatures, whichever is less [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
General petition — signature rules
Independent candidates need 1% of votes cast for governor in last election or 45,000 signatures, whichever is less [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
Primary petition — signature rules
Governor: 15,000 signatures statewide
Primary petition — signature rules
US House: 1,250 signatures; US Senate: 15,000 signatures (5% of enrolled party voters in last gubernatorial election)
Primary petition — deadline rules
Petitions must be filed between 37 and 32 days before primary
General petition — signature rules
Independent candidates need signatures equal to 5% of total votes cast for governor in district in last election
Primary petition — signature rules
Major party candidates need 5% of enrolled party members in the congressional district or 1,250 signatures, whichever is less [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
General petition — signature rules
Independent candidates need 1% of votes cast for governor in last election in the congressional district or 3,500 signatures, whichever is less [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
Primary petition — signature rules
Major party candidates need signatures from 5% of active enrolled party members in the state senate district, or a fixed minimum established by statute, whichever is less [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
General petition — signature rules
Independent candidates need signatures from 1% of votes cast for governor in last election or 3,500 signatures, whichever is less [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
Primary petition — signature rules
State Senate: 1,000 signatures; State Assembly: 500 signatures
Primary petition — signature rules
Major party candidates need signatures from 5% of active enrolled party members in the Assembly district, or a fixed minimum established by statute, whichever is less [Source: [Ballotpedia - Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New York](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_New_York)]
General petition — signature rules
Independent candidates need signatures from 5% of total votes cast for governor in last election in the Assembly district, or a statutory minimum, whichever is less [Source: [Ballotpedia - New York State Assembly elections, 2026](https://ballotpedia.org/New_York_State_Assembly_elections,_2026)]
Frequently asked questions
How many signatures do I need to get on the ballot in New York?
New York signature requirements vary by office. State Comptroller: 15,000 signatures or 5% of enrolled voters; U.S. Senator: 15,000 signatures or 5% of enrolled voters; Governor, Lieutenant Governor: 15,000 signatures or 5% of enrolled voters. See the full table above for all offices.
What is the 2026 petition filing deadline in New York?
For the 2026 cycle in New York, the primary petition deadline is April 2, 2026, and the general petition deadline is May 18, 2026. Confirm exact dates for your office above and with your election authority.
Can I validate New York petition signatures myself?
Yes. Petition Validator lets you upload petition pages and automatically matches each signer against the New York voter file — checking registration, address, and duplicates in seconds per signature. You can start free, no paid Victory Waves account required.
How does signature validation work?
You upload images of your petition pages; our system transcribes each signature and matches the signer's name, address, and date against official voter registration data to confirm they're a registered voter in the correct jurisdiction.
Last updated for the 2026 cycle on January 15, 2026. Always confirm requirements and deadlines with your state or local election authority.