HF 1275

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/18/2019 02:18pm

A bill for an act
relating to elections; modifying procedures for placing candidates on the ballot at
a presidential nomination primary; amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section
207A.13, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 207A; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 207A.13, subdivision
2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 207A.13, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Form.

(a) Except as provided by law, presidential nomination primary
ballots shall be printed in the same manner as state primary ballots as far as practicable. A
sufficient number of each ballot shall be printed for each precinct and ward in the state.

(b) There must be separate ballots for the names of the candidates of each political party.
Each ballot must be headed by the words "Presidential Nomination Primary Ballot." The
heading must also indicate the party that appears on the ballot.

deleted text begin (c) If requested by a party chair, the ballot for that party must contain a place for a voter
to indicate a preference for having delegates to the party's national convention remain
uncommitted. If requested by a party chair, the ballot for that party must contain a blank
line printed below the other choices on the ballot so that a voter may write in the name of
a person who is not listed on the ballot. A request under this paragraph must be submitted
to the secretary of state no later than 63 days before the presidential nomination primary.
deleted text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [207A.135] CANDIDATES ON BALLOT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Required listing. new text end

new text begin The following individuals must be listed as candidates
on the appropriate presidential nomination primary ballot for each major political party:
new text end

new text begin (1) any individual who files an affidavit of candidacy pursuant to section 204B.06 and
submits the appropriate filing fee or petition in place of the filing fee pursuant to section
204B.11; and
new text end

new text begin (2) any individual nominated as a candidate for the presidential nomination of a political
party by a petition containing the signatures of eligible voters representing at least one
percent of the total number of individuals voting in the state at the last preceding state
general election, or 2,000 eligible voters, whichever is less.
new text end

new text begin In addition, each major political party's ballot must contain a place for a voter to indicate a
preference for having delegates to the party's national convention remain uncommitted, and
a blank line printed below the other choices on the ballot so that a voter may write in the
name of a person who is not listed on the ballot. To be counted, a candidate seeking
nomination as a write-in candidate must submit a request to the secretary of state that the
candidate's votes be counted. The request must be submitted no later than 46 days before
the presidential nomination primary.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Affidavits of candidacy; filing fee. new text end

new text begin The period for filing an affidavit of
candidacy begins 84 days before the presidential nomination primary and ends 70 days
before the presidential nomination primary. The filing fee is $5,000.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Nominating petitions. new text end

new text begin (a) The period for signing nominating petitions begins
60 days before the filing period opens and ends 56 days before the presidential nomination
primary.
new text end

new text begin (b) Not later than three days after the last day for filing a nominating petition, the secretary
of state shall notify each individual whose name is to be listed on the ballot that the
individual's name will be listed unless the individual submits an affidavit stating that the
individual is not a candidate for the presidential nomination, does not intend to become a
candidate, and would not accept the nomination. The affidavit must be submitted to and
received by the secretary of state no later than 46 days before the presidential nomination
primary.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin REPEALER.
new text end

new text begin Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 207A.13, subdivision 2, new text end new text begin is repealed.
new text end

APPENDIX

Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 19-3316

207A.13 FORM OF BALLOTS; CANDIDATES ON BALLOT.

Subd. 2.

Candidates on the ballot.

(a) Each party must determine which candidates are to be placed on the presidential nomination primary ballot for that party. The chair of each party must submit to the secretary of state the names of the candidates to appear on the ballot for that party no later than 63 days before the presidential nomination primary. Once submitted, changes must not be made to the candidates that will appear on the ballot.

(b) No later than the seventh day before the presidential nomination primary, the chair of each party must submit to the secretary of state the names of write-in candidates, if any, to be counted for that party.