1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to elections; providing for the election of state legislators without political 
1.3 	party designation;amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections 204D.08, 
1.4 	subdivisions 4, 6; 204D.13, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 204D.08, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subd. 4.State partisan primary ballot; party columns. The state partisan primary 
1.8 	ballot shall be headed by the words "State Partisan Primary Ballot." The ballot shall be 
1.9 	printed on white paper. There must be at least three vertical columns on the ballot and each 
1.10 	major political party shall have a separate column headed by the words ".......... Party," 
1.11 	giving the party name. Above the party names, the following statement shall be printed.
1.12 	"Minnesota Election Law permits you to vote for the candidates of only one political 
1.13 	party in a state partisan primary election."
1.14 	If there are only two major political parties to be listed on the ballot, one party must 
1.15 	occupy the left-hand column, the other party must occupy the right-hand column, and the 
1.16 	center column must contain the following statement:
1.17 	"Do not vote for candidates of more than one party."
1.18 	The names of the candidates seeking the nomination of each major political party shall 
1.19 	be listed in that party's column. If only one individual files an affidavit of candidacy seeking 
1.20 	the nomination of a major political party for an office, the name of that individual shall be 
1.21 	placed on the state partisan primary ballot at the appropriate location in that party's column.
2.1 	In each column, the candidates for senator in Congress shall be listed first, candidates 
2.2 	for representative in Congress second, candidates for state senator third, candidates for state 
2.3 	representative fourth and then candidates for partisan state office in the order specified by 
2.4 	the secretary of state.
2.5 	The party columns shall be substantially the same in width, type, and appearance. The 
2.6 	columns shall be separated by a 12-point solid line.

2.7 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 204D.08, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
2.8 		Subd. 6.State and county nonpartisan primary ballot. The state and county nonpartisan 
2.9 	primary ballot shall be headed "State and County Nonpartisan Primary Ballot." It shall be 
2.10 	printed in the manner provided in the rules of the secretary of state. The names of candidates 
2.11 	for nomination to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, district court, state senator, state 
2.12 	representative, and all county offices shall be placed on this ballot.
2.13 	No candidate whose name is placed on the state and county nonpartisan primary ballot 
2.14 	shall be designated or identified as the candidate of any political party or in any other manner 
2.15 	except as expressly provided by law.

2.16 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 204D.13, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.17 		Subdivision 1.Order of offices. The candidates for partisan offices shall be placed on 
2.18 	the state general election ballot in the following order: senator in Congress shall be first;
2.19 	and representative in Congress, second; state senator, third; and state representative, fourth. 
2.20 	The candidates for partisan state offices shall follow in the order specified by the secretary 
2.21 	of state. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor shall appear so that a single vote 
2.22 	may be cast for both offices.

2.23 	Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 2.24 	Sections 1 to 3 are effective August 1, 2017, and apply to elections conducted on or after 
2.25 	that date.