Filing for City Offices

City offices include Mayor and Council Member. See About City Offices below for more information about the responsibilities of these positions.

City offices typically have a term length of two or four years. Most are elected in even years, but some cities have their regularly scheduled elections in odd years. Contact the city clerk to learn which offices will be on the ballot at the upcoming election. The clerk will also have information about filing for any special elections to fill vacancies.

Qualifications

Candidates for an elected city office must:

• be eligible to vote in Minnesota
• be at least 21 years old upon assuming office
• have maintained residence in their district for at least 30 days before the general election
• have not filed for another office at the upcoming primary or general election (unless authorized by Minn. Stat. 103C.315, subd. 6)

Information about other qualifications for city offices is available from the city clerk. [is this here for charter cities?]

How to File

Submit the affidavit and filing fee to your city clerk during the filing period.

Affidavit of Candidacy

Read instructions on the affidavit of candidacy carefully. Filing reminders are included on the back of the form.

Filing Fee

There is a filing fee in Minnesota for city candidates that varies depending on the city’s class as defined in Minn. Stat. 410.01. Check with the city clerk to confirm the filing fee for a particular city.

Any candidate may choose to submit a Petition in Place of Filing Fee instead of paying the filing fee. The number of signatures required is the lesser of 500 signatures or 5% of the total number of votes cast in the last general election that included that office (Minn. Stat. 204B.11, subd. 2 (d)).

Filing Period

The filing dates for city offices depend on whether the city holds primaries or not.

• Candidates in cities where a primary is possible may file from May 19, 2026 until June 2, 2026 at 5 p.m.
• Candidates in cities where a primary is not held may file from July 14, 2026 until July 28, 2026 at 5 p.m.

Withdrawal

A candidate who has filed for office may remove their name from the ballot by filing an affidavit of withdrawal. Candidates may withdraw within the filing period, or by 5:00 p.m. within two days of the end of the filing period. The affidavit of withdrawal is filed with the city clerk.

Write-In Candidates

A city may adopt a resolution about counting write-in votes for city offices. It may:

• require a write-in candidate to file a written request for their votes to be individually tallied. This request must be filed with the filing officer for that office no later than the 19th day before the general election; or
• require that write-in votes only be individually tallied if the total number of write-in votes is equal or greater than the fewest number of non-write-in votes for a candidate on the ballot.

It is possible that some charter cities may have additional candidate requirements. A candidate should check the city’s charter for possible additional requirements for write-in candidates.

If nothing is specified by resolution or in charter, all write-in votes are individually tallied without the need for a written request.

About City Offices

Mayor

The mayor is the head of the city and may represent the city in front of other government bodies. They also can preside at council meetings and appoint city workers. A mayor usually has a role in proposing a city budget which influences services provided to residents and can veto ordinances proposed by the city council.

City Council Member

As local legislators who sometimes have executive power, council members can propose ordinances, set administrative policy, and authorize the budget proposed by the mayor. They oversee all city activities, including city services, programs, licensing, and public safety. Mayoral appointments to city government typically require council approval.