Minnesota Administrative Rules

7520.0300 POLITICAL ACTIVITY.

Subpart 1.

Affecting elections.

No employee shall use the employee's official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the results of an election or nomination for office.

Subp. 2.

Coercing contributions.

No employee shall directly coerce, attempt to coerce, command, or advise a merit system employee to pay, lend, or contribute anything of value to a party, committee, organization, agency, or person for political purposes.

Subp. 3.

Candidacy.

No employee shall be a candidate in a partisan election for any public office which is obtained through a partisan election. Candidacy for political party office is not prohibited.

Subp. 4.

Restrictions during leave.

An employee continues to be covered by the federal Hatch Act restrictions including all the restrictions listed in subparts 1 to 5 while on annual leave, sick leave, leave without pay, or administrative leave. Any employee shall resign from the service upon filing as a candidate for public office, except as provided in subpart 5.

Subp. 5.

Nonpartisan elections.

Any employee may be a candidate in nonpartisan elections. These are elections in which none of the candidates is to be nominated or elected as representing a political party whose candidates for presidential elector received votes in the last presidential election.

Subp. 6.

Hatch Act.

All prohibitions of political activity provided in the federal Hatch Act apply to employees under the merit system.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 12.22

History:

17 SR 1279

Published Electronically:

October 2, 2007