Tuesday marks the start of the petitioning process for New York City mayoral candidates seeking to appear on the June primary ballot.

To qualify, candidates need to gather at least 3,750 signatures from registered voters by April 3. But signing a petition isn't the same as casting a vote or endorsing a candidate-it's just a way to acknowledge a person deserves a place on the ballot.

What You Need To Know

  • Tuesday marks the start of the petitioning process for New York City mayoral candidates seeking to appear on the June primary ballot

  • Candidates need to gather at least 3,750 valid signatures from registered voters by April 3

  • Once the petitioning window closes, the Board of Elections will review and certify the ballot, a process expected to wrap up in early May

  • The New York City primary is on June 24

Voters will only be allowed to sign support for one mayoral candidate from their registered party. According to New York Election Law, if a voter signs more than one petition on the same date, neither will be counted, or if a voter signs on two different dates, only the first signature will be counted.

Incumbents, including Mayor Eric Adams, must also participate in this process. And while there had been some speculation in recent weeks about Adams' loyalty to the Democratic Party, given his ongoing work with the Trump administration, he has confirmed he will seek reelection as a Democrat.

"Yes, I'm running," Adams said at a press briefing on Monday. "Petitions will be in the streets. If you see one with my name on it, please sign it."

Adams has plenty of competition. His Democratic challengers include City Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sens. Jessica Ramos of Queens and Zellnor Myrie of Brooklyn, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani of Queens, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Kairos Democracy Project founder Michael Blake and investor Whitney Tilson.

Once the petitioning window closes, the Board of Elections will review and certify the ballot, a process expected to wrap up in early May. The New York City primary is on June 24.

On the Republican side, Curtis Sliwa-founder of the Guardian Angels and the GOP's 2021 mayoral nominee-is running again. He's already secured support from Republican leaders in all five boroughs.

In New York City, the petitioning process applies to anyone running for public office, including mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough president or city council member, and to both party-affiliated and independent candidates. However, the exact number of signatures varies by position.