Information for Candidates

Stearns County Auditor/Treasurer
Randy R. Schreifels

General Election November 6, 2012

Filing Period:
Filing period opens Tuesday, May 22, 2012 for all federal, state, county, cities of St. Cloud, and Sartell and ISD 742 offices. Filing closes at 5:00 pm on Tuesday June 5, 2012 for those offices. Filing for all other local & school district offices opens July 31, 2012 and closes August 14, 2012 at 5:00 pm.

Filing Fee/Petition:
A filing fee must be paid at the time of filing the Affidavit of Candidacy. A petition may be filed in lieu of the filing fee. Sample forms and information about the number of signatures required on a petition in lieu of filing fee are available from the filing officer, as well as filing fee amounts. View the amount of filing fees for a specific office.

Candidates who provide the filing fee by a check or other instrument for which sufficient funds are not available will have their names removed from the ballot and are liable for all costs incurred by election officials in removing theirs names from the ballot.

Place of Filing:
Candidates for federal offices must file with the Minnesota Secretary of State.

Candidates for state and judicial offices may file with either the Minnesota Secretary of State or with the county auditor of the county in which they reside.

Candidates for county offices must file with the county auditor.

Candidates for municipal offices file with their municipal clerk.

Candidates for school district offices file with their school district clerk.

Qualifications for Office:
All candidates must:

be eligible voters
be at least 21 years of age when assuming office (this will vary depending on the office selected, see below for additional information)
have been residents of their districts for at least 30 days before the general election (with exception of the State Legislator)

In addition, candidates for particular offices must meet the following requirements:

U.S. Senator:

must be at least 30 years of age and a U.S. citizen for at least nine years on January 3, 2013, or if filled at a special election, within 21 days after the election.

U.S. Representative:

must be at least 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years on January 3, 2013, or if filled at special election, within 21 days after the election.

State Representative:

must be a resident of the state for at least one year and of the legislative district for at least six months as of November 6, 2012.

Judicial Officers:

must provide copy of license to practice law in Minnesota

Affidavits of Candidacy:
Except for those running for president and vice president, all candidates must file affidavits stating, in part,

the name of the office sought,
that they are eligible voters,
that they have no other affidavits on file for any other offices for the election,
that they meet the office qualifications; and
that the names listed on their affidavits are their true names or names by which they are commonly known in the community.

The affidavit of candidates who seek the nomination of a major political party must state that they participated in the party's most recent precinct caucus or that they intend to vote for a majority of the party's candidates at the next state general election.

Affidavits of Candidacy for federal, state, and county offices may be executed starting 60 days before and during the filing period. The properly completed affidavit, filing fee, and petition (if required) must be received by the filing officer during the filing period but no later than 5:00 P.M. on the last day for filing. Affidavits must be signed in the presence of a notarial officer or an individual authorized to administer oaths (or a designated employee of the secretary of state, if the filing occurs in that office.) Candidates should be prepared to supply satisfactory evidence of identification. Judicial and county attorney candidates must submit proof that the candidate is licensed to practice law in Minnesota at the time of filing. Sheriff candidates must submit a copy of a current POST Board License.

Candidates for federal, state, or county offices who will be out of the state during the filing period may file Affidavits of Candidacy and any required filing fees or petitions during the seven days immediately preceding their absence from the state. The proper filing officer should be contacted for more specific information. Affidavit of Candidacy forms may be obtained from the filing officer or downloaded from the Secretary of State website.

Placement of Signs:
State law prohibits the placement, painting, printing, or affixing of advertisements on any object within the limits of any highway in Minnesota. This prohibition in Minnesota Statutes, section 160.27 applies to political campaign signs as well as to all other forms of advertising. The law applies to all state, county, city and township roads and highways. Some municipalities have ordinances restricting the placement of lawn signs. In a state general election year (even years), these ordinances are overruled by Minnesota Statute 211B.045 from 46 days before the primary until 10 days after the general election, and campaign signs may be posted in any size and number. In municipalities which have no sign ordinance, campaign signs may be posted in any size and number throughout the year.

In addition, the Minnesota Outdoor Advertising Control Act (Minnesota Statutes, section 173.15) prohibits erecting advertising devices:

on private land without the consent of the owner or occupant
on public utility poles
on trees or shrubs; and
by painting or drawing on rocks or natural features

Please distribute this information to those placing signs on your behalf. Local Mn/Dot offices should be contacted for assistance when signs are being placed where the specific highway right-of-way cannot be clearly identified. When improperly placed signs are removed by department employees, every effort will be made to temporarily store the sign and to notify the candidate so that the signs can be retrieved by the candidate or the candidate's workers.