The circulator of a primary petition page must be an enrolled member in the party and entitled to vote in the primary. A petitioning candidate can circulate his own petition. Each petition page filed with the secretary must contain a certification as to the circulator's qualifications, signed by the registrar, and a statement as to the authenticity of the signatures, signed by the circulator under penalty of false statement. Each petition page must also be officially acknowledged by a notary public, attorney, judge, family support magistrate, court clerk, town clerk, or justice of the peace. No one can withdraw a petition signature.
Any information related to primary petitions is a public record.
The basis for determining the necessary number of signatures of enrolled party members is the number on the latest active town enrollment list submitted to the secretary of the state before the primary petitions are available. Town clerks must furnish such lists in February and October each year. The names of electors on the inactive registry are not included in the calculation to determine the number of signatures required. But if an elector from the inactive list signs a petition with the same address given on the list, registrars count the signature for purposes of the requirement and move the name from the inactive to the active list. Petitions for municipal offices voted on at a state election must be filed by the 14th day after the party endorsement is made, rather than on the 34th day before the primary.