The candidate filing periods for all federal, state and county offices began on Tuesday, May 19. The filing period closes on June 2, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. State and county candidates may file at their county election office or with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State at the Veteran’s Service Building (20 W 12th Street) in St. Paul. Candidates for federal office may only file with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Candidates for local offices where a primary is possible must file during the current candidate filing period (May 19 – June 2, 2026). If the jurisdiction does not hold primaries, the candidate filing period is will begin on July 14, 2026 and end on July 28, 2026.
Requirements for candidates vary by the office type and political party affiliation. Minnesotans can find qualifications and filing instructions for each office in the updated Become a Candidate section of mnvotes.gov.
New Laws Impacting Candidates
New laws have changed the process for candidates when filing, this will be the first statewide candidate filing period where state and local candidates are required to show a photo ID and provide proof of residence to the filing officer when submitting their affidavit. (Sec. 204B.06 MN Statutes) Federal candidates, as well as candidates for judicial office, county attorney, and county sheriff are exempt from this requirement. Candidates also now have clearer instructions for keeping their address of residence private, under new laws that were passed in 2023 and modified again this year.
The Office has updated Candidate Affidavits to comply with new laws that will be in place for this filing period. Candidate Affidavits vary slightly depending on the office. There are four versions of the Candidate Affidavits – federal; state and judicial; county and special districts; and, city, town, school district, and special districts. Previously, there was only one form for all offices.
List of Candidates
Lists of candidates who have filed for each year’s general election are available electronically from the Candidate Filing website, from the beginning of the early filing period. A description of the contents of the downloadable text files is in the candidate files layout file.
The deadline for candidates to withdraw is Thursday, June 4. Shortly after the conclusion of the candidate withdrawal period, the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State will certify the names of state and federal candidates to appear on ballot for the August 11, 2026 State Primary Election.
