West NY News

The Chautauqua County Board of Elections and Sheriff's Office has announced the commencement of the petitioning process for the 2025 Election Cycle. Starting on Tuesday, February 25, candidates and their volunteers will begin collecting signatures from residents to secure a place on the ballot.

Sheriff James B. Quattrone explained, “We would like to let voters know that individuals will be going door to door, collecting signatures to designate people to run for office.” The petitioning period will continue until Thursday, April 3.

Commissioner Luz E. Torres highlighted the challenges candidates face during this process: “Each year, candidates must collect signatures from registered voters in the area they are seeking to run and for the party they are circulating petitions for. Collecting signatures can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process and candidates often face challenges such as tight deadlines and limited access to voters. Also, weather conditions can limit access to certain areas can further complicate the signature collection process.”

Commissioner Nacole L. Ellis emphasized the importance of this step in elections: “Collecting signatures is a crucial step in getting candidates on the ballot for elections. It ensures that candidates have a baseline level of support from the community before they can officially run for office.” She added that engaging with petitioners allows residents to learn more about candidates and become more involved in local issues.

Sheriff Quattrone concluded by acknowledging the efforts of volunteers: “Each year, there are volunteers that work hard to get candidates elected to local offices. We want to let the public know that this process will be happening, to lessen potential confusion and concern regarding this process.”

Residents who need to update their address or change their political party affiliation can visit www.votechautauqua.com. Although it is too late for changes affecting this Primary Election Cycle, any enrollment changes will take effect after July 1st.

A list of offices up for election is available at www.votechautauqua.com.