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Ballot access requirements for political parties in Minnesota
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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Minnesota, see this article.
Process for a political party to obtain ballot status
See statutes: 2024 Minnesota Statutes, Section 200.02
Minnesota recognizes two classes of political parties: major parties and minor parties.
Qualifying as a major party
A party may qualify as a major political party via one of the methods described below.[2]
Fielding one candidate
The party must have fielded at least one candidate for any of the following offices:[2]
- Governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, or attorney general at the last preceding state general election for those offices; or
- Presidential electors or United States Senator at the last preceding state general election for presidential electors
The candidate must have received votes in each county in that election. In total, the candidate must have received votes equaling at least 8% of the total number of individual votes cast in that election.[2]
A party whose candidate meets these requirements becomes a major party as of January 1 following that election and retains such status for at least two consecutive general elections, even if the party fields a candidate who does not win the requisite votes. If the party fails in each of two consecutive general elections to field a candidate who meets these requirements, however, the party will lose major party status as of December 31 following the latter of the two elections.[2]
Fielding a full slate of candidates
The party must have fielded at least 45 candidates for election as state representatives, 23 candidates for election as state senators, four candidates for election as congressional representatives, and one candidate for election to each of the following offices: governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor at the last preceding state general election for those offices–a total of 76 offices.[2]
A party who fields this slate of candidates becomes a major party as of January 1 following that election and retains such status for at least two consecutive general elections, even if the party fails to field the requisite slate of candidates. If the party does not field the necessary slate of candidates for two consecutive general elections, however, the party will lose major party status as of December 31 following the latter of the two consecutive elections.[2]
Petitioning the secretary of state for recognition
The party must present to the secretary of state a petition for a place on the state partisan primary ballot.[2]
The petition must contain signatures equal to at least 5% of the total number of individuals who voted in the preceding state general election. Signatures must be collected within a one-year period.[2]
The petition must be submitted before the close of the filing period for the state partisan primary ballot. Upon qualifying for a place on the primary ballot, the party must field candidates via one of the two methods described above. A major political party that does not submit the required certification loses major party status on December 31 of the year in which the party did not file.[2]
Qualifying as a minor party
A party may qualify as a minor political party via one of the methods described below.[2]
Fielding one candidate
The party must have fielded at least one candidate for election to any of the following offices:[2]
- Governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, or attorney general at the last preceding state general election for those offices; or
- Presidential electors or United States Senator at the preceding state general election for presidential electors
The candidate must have received votes in each county. In total, the candidate must have received votes equaling at least 1% of the total number of individual votes cast in the election.[2]
A party whose candidate meets these requirements becomes a minor party as of January 1 following that election and retains such status for at least two consecutive general elections, even if the party fields a candidate who does not win the requisite votes. If the party fails in each of two consecutive general elections to field a candidate who meets these requirements, however, the party will lose minor party status as of December 31 following the latter of the two elections.[2]
Petitioning the secretary of state for recognition
The party must present to the secretary of state a petition for a place on the general election ballot.[2]
The petition must contain signatures equal to at least 1% of the total number of individuals who voted in the preceding state general election.
The petition must be submitted before the close of the filing period for the state partisan primary ballot. Upon qualifying for a place on the general election ballot, the party must field candidates in the method described above to maintain status.[2]
To be considered a minor party in an election in a state legislative district, the party must have fielded a candidate for legislative office in that district who won at least 10% of the total number of votes cast for that office, or the party must present the secretary of state with a petition containing signatures equaling at least 10% of the total number of individuals who voted in the preceding state general election for that office.[2]
Procedural requirements
The relevant statutes stipulate that a major political party must maintain a party organization in the state in accordance with the following requirements:[2][3]
- The final authority over the affairs of each major party is vested in the party's state convention, which must be held at least once every general election cycle.
- Subject to the control of the state convention, the general management of party affairs is vested in the state central committee.
- The state executive committee of a party is responsible for the administration of the party's affairs, subject to the direction of the state convention and state central committee.
- The chair of the state central committee of each party must file a copy of the party's constitution with the secretary of state as soon as it is enacted.
Similarly, a minor party must submit a certification to the secretary of state by December 31 each general election year demonstrating that it has adopted a state constitution, designated a state party chair, and held a state convention in the last two years.[2]
Major parties must nominate their candidates for office by primary election. Minor parties are not entitled to participate in primary elections and instead must field candidates via nominating petitions.[4]
Political parties
As of June 2024, there were five recognized political parties in Minnesota. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Republican parties were considered major parties. The Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis , Legal Marijuana Now Party, Libertarian parties were considered minor parties.[5]
| Party | Website link | By-laws/platform link |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota | Link | |
| Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota | Link | Party platform |
| Legal Marijuana Now Party | Link | |
| Libertarian Party of Minnesota | Link | Party platform |
| Republican Party of Minnesota | Link |
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See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Minnesota
- Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Minnesota
- List of political parties in the United States
- Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota
- Republican Party of Minnesota
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Political Parties," accessed May 23, 2024
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 Minnesota Legislature, "2024 Minnesota Statutes Section 200.02," accessed July 9, 2025
- ↑ Minnesota Legislature, "2024 Minnesota Statutes Section 202A.12," accessed July 9, 2025
- ↑ Minnesota Legislature, "2024 Minnesota Statutes Section 204B.03," accessed July 8, 2025
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Political Parties," accessed May 14, 2024
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