New York state Republican legislators on Monday introduced a bill that aims to fix what they call a bureaucratic error made by the state Public Campaign Finance Board.

The legislation would allow the board to accept an application form jointly signed by candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in order to be eligible for the matching fund program.

This comes after the state Public Campaign Finance Board denied funding to Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman due to a technicality after Blakeman’s running mate, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, didn’t submit his own paperwork when applying for matching funds. 

Lawmakers say the board added a joint filing requirement but never notified the candidates of the change. Blakeman is suing the board over the decision.

“This flies in the face of leveling the playing field. This is about tilting the playing field. This is about manipulating a law, manipulating a system to bar a major election candidate from qualifying from funds they should qualify for,” state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said.

If passed, the bill would give the denied campaigns a week to submit a co-signed form and regain eligibility.