How to run in New York, 2028
What it takes to get on New York's 2028 ballot for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate or President, from the state's election office and laws.
U.S. House
Who can run
- At least 25 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
- Living in the state when elected (the Constitution doesn't require living in the district)
Getting on the New York ballot
| Where to file | Designating and independent nominating petitions for a congressional district that covers more than one county (or parts of two or more counties) are filed with the New York State Board of Elections in Albany; for a district wholly within New York City, with the NYC Board of Elections; otherwise with the county board of elections (Election Law § 6-144). |
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| When | Party designating petitions are filed from the 13th Monday through the 12th Thursday before the June primary (Election Law § 6-158(1)); the primary is the fourth Tuesday in June (§ 8-100(1)(a)), June 27, 2028, so the filing period is April 3-6, 2028. Signatures made earlier than 37 days before the last filing day do not count (§ 6-134(4)), so circulation would begin February 29, 2028. Papers are filed 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (§ 1-106). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | A party candidate is placed on the primary ballot by filing a designating petition signed by enrolled voters of that party in the district, followed by a certificate of acceptance or declination within four days after the last filing day (§ 6-158(2)). A candidate who is not enrolled in the party needs a certificate of authorization from the party committee (§ 6-120). Petitions sent by mail or overnight delivery count as timely if postmarked/received by the carrier before midnight on the last day and received within two business days (§ 1-106). |
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| Fee | None. |
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| Petition instead | Designating petition: 5% of the active enrolled voters of the party in the district or 1,250 signatures, whichever is less (§ 6-136, as listed on the SBOE 2026 Political Calendar). Independent nominating petition (for a candidate not nominated by a party primary): 5% of the votes cast for governor in the district at the last gubernatorial election, but not more than 3,500 signatures for a congressional district (§ 6-142); any registered voter of the district who has not signed another petition for the same office may sign. Independent petitions are filed 24 to 23 weeks before the general election (§ 6-158(9)) -- May 23-30, 2028 -- and signatures made more than six weeks before the last filing day do not count (§ 6-138(4)), i.e. signing begins April 18, 2028. |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution
U.S. Senate
Who can run
- At least 30 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 9 years
- Living in the state when elected
Getting on the New York ballot
| Where to file | New York State Board of Elections, Albany (statewide office; Election Law § 6-144). |
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| When | Same as other primary offices: designating petitions filed from the 13th Monday through the 12th Thursday before the fourth-Tuesday-in-June primary (§§ 6-158(1), 8-100(1)(a)) -- April 3-6, 2028 for the June 27, 2028 primary; signatures count only if made on or after February 29, 2028 (37 days before the last filing day, § 6-134(4)). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | Designating petition signed by enrolled voters of the party statewide, followed by a certificate of acceptance or declination within four days after the last filing day (§ 6-158(2)); a non-enrolled candidate needs a party certificate of authorization (§ 6-120). Statewide party candidates may also be designated at a state committee meeting (held February 3-24 in the 2026 calendar, § 6-104(6)). |
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| Fee | None. |
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| Petition instead | Designating petition for a statewide office: 5% of the party's active enrolled voters or 15,000 signatures, whichever is less, including at least 100 or 5% of enrolled voters from each of one-half of the congressional districts (§ 6-136). Independent nominating petition: 45,000 signatures statewide, with at least 500 or 1% of enrolled voters from each of one-half of the congressional districts (§ 6-142), filed May 23-30, 2028 (24 to 23 weeks before the general election, § 6-158(9)), with signatures gathered no earlier than six weeks before the last filing day (April 18, 2028). |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution · New York's 2028 Senate race
President
Who can run: At least 35 years old; A natural-born U.S. citizen; A U.S. resident for at least 14 years (U.S. Constitution).
Getting on New York's presidential primary ballot
| How | The 2028 rules are not yet in state law. New York's presidential primary ballot-access rules have been set in cycle-specific legislation: for 2024, Election Law sections 2-122-a (Democratic plan) and 2-122-b (Republican plan) as enacted by Chapter 474 of the Laws of 2023. Neither section appears in the current consolidated Article 2 on the Senate's Open Legislation site (checked 2026-11-04). For reference, the 2024 State Board summary shows how it worked. Democratic plan: a designating petition with 15,000 signatures of enrolled party voters and no geographic distribution requirement. Republican plan, any one of three routes: (a) a certificate based on federal primary matching-fund eligibility (11 CFR 9033); (b) a certificate asking to be found a 'nationally known and recognized candidate', decided by that party's commissioners of the State Board; or (c) a designating petition signed by 5,000 or 5% (whichever is less) of the party's enrolled voters statewide. Any other party may nominate at a statewide convention or by designating petition. Election Law 8-100(1)(a) sets the spring (presidential) primary for the first Tuesday in February (February 1, 2028) 'unless otherwise changed by an act of the legislature'; the legislature moved it to April 2 for 2024. |
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| Where | New York State Board of Elections, 40 North Pearl Street, Suite 5, Albany, NY 12207-2109; (518) 474-8100. |
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| When | Not yet set for 2028. In 2024, signing began December 12, 2023, petitions were filed January 8-18, 2024, and Republican-plan certificates were filed December 12, 2023 - January 30, 2024 (16 to 9 weeks before the primary). Expect the 2028 dates to come from new legislation and a State Board summary. |
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| Fee | None in the 2024 State Board summary. |
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| Petition | 2024 rules (reference only): Democratic plan, 15,000 signatures of enrolled party voters; Republican plan petition route, 5,000 or 5% (whichever is less) of the party's enrolled voters statewide. There was no geographic distribution requirement in either plan. |
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Sources: 2024presidentialprimaryballotaccess updated-12-8-23 clean · nysenate.gov · nysenate.gov (2)
Running as an independent in November
| How | File an independent nominating petition with the State Board of Elections. The petition must name the presidential and vice-presidential candidates and at least one but no more than 28 candidates for presidential elector. Each candidate named must then file an acknowledged certificate of acceptance (Election Law 6-146, 6-158(11)). A petition of 10 or more pages needs a cover sheet, and each volume of a multi-volume petition needs its own (State Board regulation section 6215, per the Board's 2024 summary). |
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| Where | New York State Board of Elections, 40 North Pearl Street, Suite 5, Albany, NY 12207-2109. |
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| When | Filed no earlier than 24 weeks and no later than 23 weeks before the general election (Election Law 6-158(9)): May 23 - May 30, 2028. Acceptances are due by the third day after the 23rd Tuesday before the election: June 2, 2028 (6-158(11)). In 2024 the first signing date was six weeks before the last filing day; on that pattern signing would open about April 18, 2028. (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | None stated. |
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| Petition | At least 45,000 voters, or 1% of the total votes (excluding blank and void ballots) cast for governor at the last gubernatorial election, whichever is less. At least 500 signers (or 1% of enrolled voters, whichever is less) must reside in each of one-half of the congressional districts, which is 13 of New York's 26 (Election Law 6-142(1)). For 2028 the gubernatorial base is the November 2026 election. |
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| Also | The running mate and the elector slate must be on the petition itself, not added later. |
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Sources: nysenate.gov · nysenate.gov (2) · 2024presidentialprimaryballotaccess updated-12-8-23 clean
Campaign money
- Once you raise or spend more than $5,000, file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) within 15 days.
- Your campaign committee then files a Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) within 10 days and reports to the FEC.
FEC: registering as a candidate · FEC campaign guides
Checked November 4, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with New York's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
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