Ordered that the judgment is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.
The statutory requirement that a special proceeding to invalidate a designating petition be commenced by verified petition is a jurisdictional condition precedent to the commencement of such a proceeding (see, Election Law § 16-116; Matter of Callahan v. Russo, 123 A.D.2d 518; Matter of O'Connell v. Ryan, 112 A.D.2d 1100). This proceeding was not commenced by a verified petition. Accordingly, the judgment dismissing the proceeding must be affirmed. Lawrence, J.P., Rubin, Kooper, Sullivan and Rosenblatt, JJ., concur.