Minnesota Legislature
HF 1117
as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am
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A bill for an act
relating to elections; moving precinct caucuses from March to February; moving
the state primary from September to June and making conforming changes;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 10A.31, subdivision 6; 10A.321;
10A.322, subdivision 1; 10A.323; 202A.14, subdivision 1; 204B.33; 204D.03,
subdivision 1; 205.065, subdivision 1; 205A.03, subdivision 2.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.31, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
Subd. 6.
Distribution of party accounts.
As soon as the board has obtained from
the secretary of state the results of the primary election, but no later than one week after
certification by the State Canvassing Board of the results of the primary, the board must
distribute the available money in each party account, as certified by the commissioner of
revenue deleted text begin on September 1deleted text end new text begin one week before the state primarynew text end , to the candidates of that party
who have signed a spending limit agreement under section 10A.322 and filed the affidavit
of contributions required by section 10A.323, who were opposed in either the primary
election or the general election, and whose names are to appear on the ballot in the general
election, according to the allocations set forth in subdivisions 5 and 5a. The public subsidy
from the party account may not be paid in an amount greater than the expenditure limit
of the candidate or the expenditure limit that would have applied to the candidate if the
candidate had not been freed from expenditure limits under section 10A.25, subdivision
10. If a candidate files the affidavit required by section 10A.323 deleted text begin after September 1 of the
general election yeardeleted text end new text begin less than one week before the state primarynew text end , the board must pay the
candidate's allocation to the candidate at the next regular payment date for public subsidies
for that election cycle that occurs at least 15 days after the candidate files the affidavit.
Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.321, is amended to read:
10A.321 ESTIMATES OF MINIMUM AMOUNTS TO BE RECEIVED.
Subdivision 1.
Calculation and certification of estimates.
The commissioner of
revenue must calculate and certify to the board new text begin one week new text end before deleted text begin July 1deleted text end new text begin the first day for
filing for officenew text end in each election year an estimate of the total amount in the state general
account of the state elections campaign fund and the amount of money each candidate
who qualifies, as provided in section 10A.31, subdivisions 6 and 7, may receive from the
candidate's party account in the state elections campaign fund. This estimate must be
based upon the allocations and formulas in section 10A.31, subdivisions 5 and 5a, any
necessary vote totals provided by the secretary of state to apply the formulas in section
10A.31, subdivisions 5 and 5a, and the amount of money expected to be available after
100 percent of the tax returns have been processed.
Subd. 2.
Publication, certification, and notification procedures.
Before the
first day of filing for office, the board must publish and forward to all filing officers
the estimates calculated and certified under subdivision 1 along with a copy of section
10A.25, subdivision 10. Within deleted text begin seven daysdeleted text end new text begin one weeknew text end after the last day for filing for
office, the secretary of state must certify to the board the name, address, office sought, and
party affiliation of each candidate who has filed with that office an affidavit of candidacy
or petition to appear on the ballot. The auditor of each county must certify to the board
the same information for each candidate who has filed with that county an affidavit of
candidacy or petition to appear on the ballot. deleted text begin By August 15deleted text end new text begin Within two weeks after the last
day for filing for officenew text end , the board must notify all candidates of their estimated minimum
amount. The board must include with the notice a form for the agreement provided in
section 10A.322 along with a copy of section 10A.25, subdivision 10.
Sec. 3.
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.322, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1.
Agreement by candidate.
(a) As a condition of receiving a public
subsidy, a candidate must sign and file with the board a written agreement in which the
candidate agrees that the candidate will comply with sections 10A.25; 10A.27, subdivision
10; 10A.31, subdivision 7, paragraph (c); and 10A.324.
(b) Before the first day of filing for office, the board must forward agreement forms
to all filing officers. The board must also provide agreement forms to candidates on
request at any time. The candidate must file the agreement with the board deleted text begin by September 1
preceding the candidate's general election or a special election held at the general electiondeleted text end new text begin
at least one week before the candidate's state primarynew text end . An agreement may not be filed after
that date. An agreement once filed may not be rescinded.
(c) The board must notify the commissioner of revenue of any agreement signed
under this subdivision.
(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), if a vacancy occurs that will be filled by means
of a special election and the filing period does not coincide with the filing period for the
general election, a candidate may sign and submit a spending limit agreement not later
than the day after the candidate files the affidavit of candidacy or nominating petition
for the office.
Sec. 4.
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.323, is amended to read:
10A.323 AFFIDAVIT OF CONTRIBUTIONS.
In addition to the requirements of section 10A.322, to be eligible to receive a public
subsidy under section 10A.31 a candidate or the candidate's treasurer must file an affidavit
with the board stating that during that calendar year the candidate has accumulated
contributions from persons eligible to vote in this state in at least the amount indicated for
the office sought, counting only the first $50 received from each contributor:
(1) candidates for governor and lieutenant governor running together, $35,000;
(2) candidates for attorney general, $15,000;
(3) candidates for secretary of state and state auditor, separately, $6,000;
(4) candidates for the senate, $3,000; and
(5) candidates for the house of representatives, $1,500.
The affidavit must state the total amount of contributions that have been received
from persons eligible to vote in this state, disregarding the portion of any contribution in
excess of $50.
The candidate or the candidate's treasurer must submit the affidavit required by
this section to the board in writing deleted text begin by September 1 of the general election yeardeleted text end new text begin at least
one week before the state primarynew text end .
A candidate for a vacancy to be filled at a special election for which the filing period
does not coincide with the filing period for the general election must submit the affidavit
required by this section to the board within five days after filing the affidavit of candidacy.
Sec. 5.
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 202A.14, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1.
Time and manner of holding; postponement.
At 7:00 p.m. on the
deleted text begin firstdeleted text end new text begin thirdnew text end Tuesday in deleted text begin Marchdeleted text end new text begin Februarynew text end in every state general election year there shall
be held for every election precinct a party caucus in the manner provided in sections
202A.14 to 202A.19, except that in the event of severe weather a major political party
may request the secretary of state to postpone caucuses. If a major political party makes a
request, or upon the secretary of state's own initiative, after consultation with all major
political parties and on the advice of the federal Weather Bureau and the Department of
Transportation, the secretary of state may declare precinct caucuses to be postponed
for a week in counties where weather makes travel especially dangerous. The secretary
of state shall submit a notice of the postponement to news media covering the affected
counties by 6:00 p.m. on the scheduled day of the caucus. A postponed caucus may also
be postponed pursuant to this subdivision.
Sec. 6.
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 204B.33, is amended to read:
204B.33 NOTICE OF FILING.
(a) deleted text begin Between June 1 and July 1 in each even numbered yeardeleted text end new text begin At least 15 weeks before
the state primarynew text end , the secretary of state shall notify each county auditor of the offices to be
voted for in that county at the next state general election for which candidates file with the
secretary of state. The notice shall include the time and place of filing for those offices.
Within ten days after notification by the secretary of state, each county auditor shall notify
each municipal clerk in the county of all the offices to be voted for in the county at that
election and the time and place for filing for those offices. The county auditors and
municipal clerks shall promptly post a copy of that notice in their offices.
(b) At least two weeks before the first day to file an affidavit of candidacy, the
county auditor shall publish a notice stating the first and last dates on which affidavits of
candidacy may be filed in the county auditor's office and the closing time for filing on the
last day for filing. The county auditor shall post a similar notice at least ten days before
the first day to file affidavits of candidacy.
Sec. 7.
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 204D.03, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1.
State primary.
The state primary shall be held on the first Tuesday
deleted text begin after the second Mondaydeleted text end in deleted text begin Septemberdeleted text end new text begin Junenew text end in each even-numbered year to select
the nominees of the major political parties for partisan offices and the nominees for
nonpartisan offices to be filled at the state general election, other than presidential electors.
Sec. 8.
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 205.065, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1.
Establishing primary.
A municipal primary for the purpose of
nominating elective officers may be held in any city on the first Tuesday after the second
Monday in September of deleted text begin anydeleted text end new text begin an odd-numberednew text end year new text begin or on the date of the state primary in
an even-numbered year. The municipal primary must be held in the same year new text end in which a
municipal general election is to be held for the purpose of electing officers.
Sec. 9.
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 205A.03, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2.
Date.
The school district primary must be held on the first Tuesday after
the second Monday in September new text begin of an odd-numbered year or on the date of the state
primary in an even-numbered year. The primary must be held new text end in the year when the school
district general election is held. The clerk shall give notice of the primary in the manner
provided in section 205A.07.
Sec. 10. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end
new text begin
Sections 1 to 9 are effective for the precinct caucuses and state primary in 2008
and thereafter.
new text end