SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Don’t be surprised if, in the next few weeks, you have campaign volunteers knocking on your door looking for signatures to get their candidates on the ballots this year.
The petition season will last from now until the end of March for all races: primary, general and special election.
Candidates have to be qualified by the first voting in the area which will be April 28 for the Presidential primary, in all of New York State.
A special election open to all voters in the 50th State Senate District, which covers much of Onondaga County outside of Syracuse and parts of Cayuga county will also happen on April 28.
All elections now will feature early voting, nine days before the scheduled election day, not including the day before. Onondaga County will continue to have the same voting sites as it did for the November 2019 Election.
Onondaga County Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny says, “For the most part these are party or campaign volunteers that are going door to door to be able to get the required number of signatures to get their candidate on the ballot for the Fall election.”
“They’re usually carrying a stack of petitions, maybe four or five petitions, for your Congressional seats for your Assembly and Senate seats, and if you are a voter and these people come up to your door you can ask for ID, ask who are you, ask their name,” Onondaga County Republic Elections Commissioner Michele Sardo tells NewsChannel 9.
They say when you sign a petition it has to be for a candidate in your party, and you can only sign for one candidate per race.
“It does not mean you have to vote for this candidate all it does is allow this candidate to get on the ballot so you have choice this Fall,” Czarny explains to NewsChannel 9.
Click here for more voter information from the Onondaga County Board of Elections.
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