Failure to Meet One-Year Residency Requirement Invalidated Designating Petition

The Third Department affirmed the invalidation of petitioner’s designating petition because petitioner had not lived in the relevant district for one year, as required by the Albany County Charter. The court held the residency requirement did not violate due process:

… [B]y conceding that the address listed on his designating petition is outside the 9th Legislative District and that he did not, in fact, live in that district, petitioner failed to demonstrate that he satisfied the residency requirements and, consequently, did not meet his burden of demonstrating the validity of his designating petition … .

… [W]e find that the one-year durational residency requirement imposes a reasonable, nondiscriminatory restriction on prospective candidates and voters that is supported by a rational basis … . Matter of Scavo v Albany County Bd. of Elections, 2015 NY Slip Op 06640, 3rd Dept 8-20-15