MN HF1180

Amends Minnesota Statutes section 204B.09, subdivision 3, to clarify that filing officers shall not accept written requests for write-in candidate vote counting after 5:00 p.m. on the filing deadline.

Allows governing bodies of cities, towns, school districts, and other locally elected bodies to require candidates for local office to file a written request with the chief election official at least seven days before an election to have their write-in votes individually recorded.

Permits local governing bodies to alternatively require that write-in votes for a candidate only be individually recorded if the total number of write-in votes for that candidate equals or exceeds the fewest number of non-write-in votes for a ballot candidate.

Requires local governing bodies to adopt any resolution establishing write-in candidate requirements before the first day of filing for office, with resolutions remaining in effect until superseded by subsequent resolutions.

Mandates that local election bodies must individually record and count every write-in vote in elections where no candidates have filed requests to have their write-in votes counted.