N.Y. ACG Law § 651

§ 651. Petition. Upon the filing with the clerk of the board of\nsupervisors of a petition signed by electors of the county equal in\nnumber to at least ten per centum of the whole number of votes cast in\nthe county for governor at the last gubernatorial election asking that a\nreferendum be held on the question of adopting one of the alternative\nforms of county government authorized by this chapter, with or without\nvariations, the board of supervisors shall cause the question to be\nsubmitted to the electors of the county in the manner hereinafter\nprovided. Proceedings may be instituted and maintained to contest the\nsufficiency and validity of any petition in the manner provided in the\nelection law, as though such petition were a designating petition. If\nthe petition be sufficient and valid, the board of supervisors shall by\nresolution cause the question to be submitted to the electors of the\ncounty for approval or disapproval at the next general election\noccurring in an odd-numbered year and not less than sixty days after the\ndate on which the petition is filed.\n