The Secretary of the State shall not issue any nominating petition forms for a candidate for an office to be filled at a regular election to be held in any year prior to the first business day of such year. The Secretary shall not issue any nominating petition forms unless the person requesting the nominating petition forms makes a written application for such forms, which application shall contain the following: (1) The name or names of the candidates to appear on such nominating petition, compared by the town clerk of the town of residence of each candidate with the candidate's name as it appears on the last-completed registry list of such town, and verified and corrected by such town clerk or in the case of a newly admitted elector whose name does not appear on the last-completed registry list, the town clerk shall compare the candidate's name as it appears on the candidate's application for admission and verify and correct it accordingly; (2) a signed statement by each such candidate that the candidate consents to the placing of the candidate's name on such petition; and (3) the party designation, if any. An applicant for petition forms who does not wish to specify a party designation shall so indicate on the application for such forms and the application, if so marked, shall not be amended in this respect. No application made after November 3, 1981, shall contain any party designation unless a reservation of such party designation with the Secretary is in effect for all of the offices included in the application or unless the party designation is the same as the name of a minor party which is qualified for a different office or offices on the same ballot as the office or offices included in the application. The Secretary shall not issue such forms (A) unless the application for forms on behalf of a candidate for the office of presidential elector is accompanied by the names of the candidates for President and Vice-President whom the candidate for the office of presidential elector represents and includes the consent of such candidates for President and Vice-President; (B) unless the application for forms on behalf of Governor or Lieutenant Governor is accompanied by the name of the candidate for the other office and includes the consent of both such candidates; (C) if petition forms have previously been issued on behalf of the same candidate for the same office unless the candidate files a written statement of withdrawal of the candidate's previous candidacy with the Secretary; and (D) unless the application meets the requirements of this section. A candidacy for nomination by nominating petition to a district or municipal office may be filed on behalf of any person whose name appears on the last-completed registry list of the district or municipality represented by such office, as the case may be. A candidacy for nomination by nominating petition to a state office may be filed on behalf of any person whose name appears on the last-completed registry list of the state.

(1971, P.A. 806, S. 3; P.A. 81-447, S. 11; P.A. 84-319, S. 41, 49; P.A. 10-32, S. 26; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 50; P.A. 15-224, S. 13.)

History: P.A. 81-447 amended to delete limitation on form and length of party designation and to include reference to requirement of reservation of party designation; P.A. 84-319 established commencing date for issuance of nominating petition forms; P.A. 10-32 made technical changes, effective May 10, 2010; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 made technical changes; P.A. 15-224 added requirements for district and municipal offices that name of candidate appear on last-completed registry list of district or municipality represented by such office and for state offices that name of candidate appear on last-completed registry list of state, effective January 1, 2016.