You are reading

Hearing Held Over Lawsuit Challenging Ballot Requirements

Petition Signing Pre-COVID Photo: Alan Chan (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Feb. 22, 2021 By Christina Santucci

A Supreme Court justice is now weighing in on a lawsuit brought by more than 100 political candidates and their supporters — asking that the requirements to collect in-person signatures to get on the ballot be waived.

State Supreme Court Justice Frank P. Nervo presided over a hearing about the suit Monday, and said he plans to issue his ruling “as expeditiously as possible.”

  • Petitioning to be on the ballot, which entails collecting signatures on designating petitions, is currently scheduled to start March 2, and those petitions have to be filed with the Board of Elections from March 22 to 25.

Political candidates must collect a threshold of signatures depending on which office they are running for, but they typically gather many more than needed in case the signatures are challenged by their opponents.

State officials reduced the number of signatures needed by about 70 percent in January — so mayoral candidates now need a minimum of 2,500. City Council candidates are now required to collect 270 signatures from registered voters who live in the district in order to appear on the ballot.

But a group of candidates said the lowered threshold still puts people at risk of spreading COVID-19, and filed a lawsuit against Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio Feb. 8.

Council member Jimmy Van Bramer, who is running for Queens borough president, as well as 11 candidates seeking Queens council seats are among the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit argues that the requirement to gather in-person signatures is unconstitutional, claiming that it puts people’s health at risk. The suit asks the court to direct state and city officials to figure out an “alternative, constitutionally sound method” for candidates to be placed on the ballot.

On Monday, attorney and Manhattan Council candidate Arthur Schwartz presented their case during a virtual hearing. He argued that as many as 1,000 political candidates citywide may want to gather signatures this year, leading to numerous in person interactions.

“There is no way that you can collect petitions and stay six feet away from someone else,” he said.

Assistant Attorney General Eva L. Dietz represented Cuomo, and Stephen Kitzinger, senior counsel in the New York City Law Department, appeared on behalf of de Blasio.

Schwartz suggested that petitioning could be done virtually, or officials could certify candidates who had reached the threshold needed to receive matching funds from the city’s Campaign Finance Board.

In a back-and-forth discussion, Justice Nervo questioned Schwartz about whether signatures could be gathered in person safely, citing protective measures that are used in banks and stores.

“There are ways for people to protect themselves during these short interactions,” he said.

Schwartz responded that safety measures would burden candidates, and the requirements — as is — would force each candidate and their supporters to approach hundreds of people.

“That’s a lot more than going to the store to buy bananas,” he said.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Suspect wanted for groping woman in downtown Jamaica supermarket before escaping on bicycle: NYPD

The NYPD released surveillance images on Tuesday of a suspect being sought by the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica for allegedly stalking a woman at a Key Food supermarket in downtown Jamaica and groping her before fleeing on a bicycle in mid-August.

The incident occurred on the night of Wednesday, Aug. 14, as the 25-year-old victim was walking down an aisle inside the store located at 148-35 Jamaica Ave.

Mayor Adams marks third anniversary of Hurricane Ida in Queens Village, highlights citywide flood prevention efforts

Mayor Eric Adams visited Queens Village on Monday to highlight flood prevention and disaster preparedness investments across the five boroughs, before testing positive for COVID-19 and entering isolation at Gracie Mansion.

The Mayor provided an update on new and ongoing efforts to protect public safety and property by combating flooding and safeguarding residents from the effects of climate change while marking the third anniversary of Hurricane Ida, which brought the heaviest rainfall in city history and claimed the lives of 13 New Yorkers, eight of them in Queens.

Hollis Library

Sep. 11, 2024 By Athena Dawson

The Hollis Library, a branch of the Queens Public Library, will close for two years starting Monday, Sept. 30, with its final day of service on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Jamaica man indicted in 2018 cold-case murder of Brooklyn rapper at a Woodhaven bar: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted a Jamaica man for the fatal drive-by shooting of a rapper outside a Woodhaven pub in 2018.

Johnathan Rice, 43, of 178th Street, was arraigned on Friday on an indictment charging him with murder in the second degree for allegedly gunning down 35-year-old Frank Synder, a Brooklyn hip hop performer and party promoter known as “Hollywood Play,” outside the Tavern Lounge in Woodhaven, where he was hosting an event for a friend’s birthday.

Richmond Hill man sentenced for killing two South Ozone Park neighbors in drunk driving collision last year: DA

A Richmond Hill man was sentenced Monday to seven to 21 years in prison for a drunk driving collision that killed two neighbors from South Ozone Park in June 2023.

Tamir Khan, 23, of 117th Street, pleaded guilty in Queens Supreme Court in July to aggravated vehicular homicide and DWI charges for speeding through a Richmond Hill intersection and slamming into a vehicle driven by Inderdeo John, who was driving Charles Harris to his job as a custodian at a nearby public school.