The Green Papers: Minnesota State and Local Government

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Governor:1
Senators: 2 (Electoral Classes 1 and 2)
2020 Census: 5,709,752 (1.72% of 331,797,979
- 2024, 2028 Electors: 10 (1.86% of 538)
- 2022-2030 Representatives: 8 (1.84% of 435)
2010 Census: 5,314,879 (1.72% of 309,785,186)
- 2012, 2016, 2020 Electors: 10 (1.86% of 538)
- 2012-2020 Representatives: 8 (1.84% of 435)
Capital: St. Paul

Current Minnesota Statewide Office Holders

Official Name/Status All States

The STATE of Minnesota
Status: STATE of the Union
Organized as a Territory: 3 March 1849. 9 Stat. 403:carved from part of Wisconsin Territory and a portion of the unorganized so-called "Indian country" of old Missouri Territory left over from when Missouri had been admitted as a State back in 1821 (NOTE: this is not to be at all confused with that Indian Territory which eventually became the State of Oklahoma and which was established just south of this "Indian country")
Admitted to the Union as a State: 11 May 1858 by an Act of Congress (11 Stat. 285)
The 32nd state.

Traditional Sections and Regions All States

Section: MIDWEST
Region: Great Plains
Survey: Public Domain

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 26 February 1857 [11 Stat. 166: authorizing formation of a State government alone]
- 1st (1858-) [Adopted: 29 August 1857 Convention convened, 13 July 1857, Ratified: 13 October 1857 ratified by a vote of 36,240 to 700; effective upon Admission, 11 May 1858]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
- GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
- Lieutenant Governor [elected on same ticket with GOVERNOR; nominated with Governor as well]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States
- Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
- Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Elected on a ticket with the Governor.
- Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Treasurer (--2002): 4 year term, Final Election Cycle: 1998. The office of Treasurer is no longer going to be an elective office, so there will be no election held for this office in 2002 or any time thereafter.
- Auditor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
- LEGISLATURE

Upper House
- Senate
Lower House
- House of Representatives

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
- Supreme Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
- Court of Appeals

Local Government All States

PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
- county [Type: Broad, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  - MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    - township [Type: Limited, Executive: Board of Supervisors, Legislative: Town(ship) Meeting]

Key Statewide / Federal Officials All States

Minnesota Officials

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
- The state general election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each even-numbered year. [204D.03 Subdivision 2]
Presidential Primary All States
- (--2017) There is no Presidential Primary. Instead, Minnesota holds caucuses:
  "In every state general election year, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ... there shall be held ... a party caucus ... [Minnesota Statutes 202A.14 § Subdivision 1. (a)].
  "The chairs of the two largest major political parties shall jointly submit to the secretary of state, no later than March 1 of each odd-numbered year, the single date on which the two parties have agreed to conduct their precinct caucuses in the next even-numbered year." [Minnesota Statutes 202A.14 § Subdivision 1. (b)(1)].
  "If the chairs of the two largest major political parties do not jointly submit a single date for conducting their precinct caucuses ... then for purposes of the next general election year, the first Tuesday in February shall be considered the day of a major political party precinct caucus." [Minnesota Statutes 202A.14 § Subdivision 1. (3)]
- (2017--) (a) A presidential ... primary must be held each year in which a president ... [is] to be ... elected. (b) The party chairs must jointly submit to the secretary of state, no later than March 1 in a year prior ... the single date on which the parties have agreed to conduct the presidential ... primary ... 1. If a date is not jointly submitted by the deadline, the presidential nomination primary must be held on the 1st Tuesday in March ... No other election may be conducted on the date of the presidential nomination primary. [Session Law Chapter: 162] [Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 207A.11, signed by the Governor 20 May 2016, effective 1 July 2017]
State Primary All States
- (--2010) The state primary shall be held on the first Tuesday after the second Monday in September in each even-numbered year. [204D.03 Subdivision 1]
- (2010--) The state primary shall be held on the second Tuesday in August in each even-numbered year. [204D.03 Subdivision 1] [amended 3 March 2010 by S.F. No. 2251]
Polling times All States
- ... at the state primary and the state general election the hours for voting in every precinct in the state shall begin at 7:00 a.m. and shall extend continuously until 8:00 p.m. [204C.05, Minnesota Statutes 2006 Subdivision 1.]
  The governing body of a town with less than 500 inhabitants ... may fix a later time for voting to begin at state primary, special, or general elections ... The later time may not be later than 10:00 a.m. [204C.05, Minnesota Statutes 2006 Subd. 1a.]
  An unorganized territory or unorganized territories which ... may have shorter voting hours if at least 20 percent of the registered voters ... sign a petition for shorter hours ... The later time may not be later than 10:00 a.m. [204C.05, Minnesota Statutes 2006 Subd. 1b.]

Links Links to other web sites. These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes.

Constitution
- http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/rules/mncon/preamble.htm
Election Authority. All States
- Minnesota Campaign Finance Board
- Minnesota Secretary of State Elections and Voting
Legislature. All States
Democratic
- Minnesota Democratic-Farmer Labor Party
- Minnesota Senate - DFL Caucus
Republican
- Minnesota House of Representatives - Republican Caucus
- Republican Party of Minnesota
Third Party
- Independence Party of Minnesota.
  4 May 2019: The Minnesota Independence Party voted to affiliate with the Alliance Party.
- Justice Party of Minnesota
- Legalize Marijuana Now Party
- Libertarian Party of Minnesota
- Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life
- The Unity Party of Minnesota
Media & others

State and Local Government Outline

Modified .