Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Office of the Revisor of Statutes

204D.11 STATE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOTS; CANDIDATES; OFFICIAL IN CHARGE; RULES; REIMBURSEMENT.

Subdivision 1.White ballot; rules.

The names of the candidates for all partisan offices voted on at the state general election shall be placed on a single ballot printed on white paper which shall be known as the "white ballot." This ballot shall be prepared by the county auditor subject to the rules of the secretary of state. The secretary of state shall adopt rules for preparation and time of delivery of the white ballot.

Subd. 2.Pink ballots.

Amendments to the state Constitution shall be placed on a ballot printed on pink paper which shall be known as the "pink ballot." The pink ballot shall be prepared by the county auditor, in the manner provided in the rules of the secretary of state.

Subd. 3.Canary ballot.

All questions and the names of all candidates for offices to be voted on at the state general election which are not placed on the white ballot shall be placed on a single ballot printed on canary paper which shall be known as the "canary ballot." The canary ballot shall be prepared by the county auditor in the manner provided in the rules of the secretary of state.

Subd. 4.Special federal white ballot.

(a) The names of all candidates for the offices of president and vice-president of the United States and senator and representative in Congress shall be placed on a ballot printed on white paper which shall be known as the "special federal white ballot."

(b) This ballot shall be prepared by the county auditor in the same manner as the white ballot and shall be subject to the rules adopted by the secretary of state pursuant to subdivision 1. This ballot must be prepared and furnished in accordance with the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, United States Code, title 42, section 1973ff.

(c) The special federal white ballot shall be the only ballot sent to citizens of the United States who are eligible to vote by absentee ballot for federal candidates in Minnesota.

Subd. 5.Ballot headings.

The white, pink, and special federal white ballot shall be headed with the words "State General Election Ballot." The canary ballot shall be headed with the words "County and Judicial Nonpartisan General Election Ballot."

Subd. 6.Gray ballot.

When the canary ballot would be longer than 30 inches or when it would not be possible to place all offices on a single ballot card, the judicial offices that should be placed on the canary ballot may be placed instead on a separate gray ballot. The gray ballot shall be prepared by the county auditor in the manner provided in the rules of the secretary of state.

The gray ballot must be headed with the words: "Judicial Nonpartisan General Election Ballot." Separate ballot boxes must be provided for these gray ballots.

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes