Candidates sue for halt of petitions

Petitioning in a pandemic is preposterous, say politicians who on Monday sued Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio to cancel the requirement for candidates to gather signatures to get on June primary ballots.

A small army of Big Apple electeds and candidates filed the suit in Manhattan Supreme Court, citing state law on public health and free speech rights. The plaintiffs include Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, mayoral candidate Maya Wiley, several City Council members and dozens of contenders for local office.

The state recently lowered petition-gathering requirements by 70% and moved up the deadline to submit them.

That would still bring “the impending and inevitable spread of COVID-19 that would come when in dozens of races, hundreds of candidates may be required to send thousands of volunteers to have in-person contact with hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in order to collect signatures,” Williams stated.

The plaintiffs cited part of the state Constitution mandating “the protection and promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state.” They also argued that having to gather hundreds of petitions during a pandemic would be such a big burden, it would amount to an infringement of free speech.

The status quo “requires unnecessary ... close-quarters interactions,” Erica Vladimer, who helped organize the suit, told the Daily News.

“The potential for thousands of people to die stands,” she added. “That’s just not OK.”

Vladimer, who’s running for a Manhattan seat that picks local judges, noted nearby states have transitioned to electronic petitioning systems.

“If they’re not going to take this as seriously as we are, we’re going to request judicial intervention,” she said of Albany lawmakers.

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi doubled down on the governor’s approach to petitioning.

“The Legislature passed a bill to address this issue less than a month ago, which the governor signed,” he said. “They are back in session and we are not going to unilaterally overrule the will of the Legislature on a law they just passed while they are in session.”

De Blasio’s office did not answer a request for comment.

Primaries for mayor, City Council and other offices are set for June 22.