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1 <br />MINNESOTA STATUTES 2022 205.10 <br />205.10 MS 1957 [Repealed, 1959 c 675 art 13 s 1] <br />205.10 MUNICIPAL SPECIAL ELECTIONS. <br />Subdivision 1. Questions. Special elections may be held in a city or town on a question on which the <br />voters are authorized by law or charter to pass judgment. A special election may be ordered by the governing <br />body of the municipality on its own motion or, on a question that has not been submitted to the voters in an <br />election within the previous six months, upon a petition signed by a number of voters equal to 20 percent <br />of the votes cast at the last municipal general election. A question is carried only with the majority in its <br />favor required by law or charter. The election officials for a special election shall be the same as for the <br />most recent municipal general election unless changed according to law. Otherwise special elections shall <br />be conducted and the returns made in the manner provided for the municipal general election. <br />Subd. 2. Vacancies in city offices. Special elections shall be held in statutory cities to fill vacancies in <br />elective city offices as provided in section 412.02, subdivision 2a. <br />Subd. 3. Repealed, 2017 c 92 art 2 s 26] <br />Subd. 3a. Uniform election dates. (a) Except as allowed in paragraph (b) and subdivision 4, a special <br />election held in a city or town must be held on one of the following dates: the second Tuesday in February, <br />the second Tuesday in April, the second Tuesday in May, the second Tuesday in August, or the first Tuesday <br />after the first Monday in November. A home rule charter city must not designate additional dates in its <br />charter. <br />(b) A special election may be held on a date other than those designated in paragraph (a) if the special <br />election is held in response to an emergency or disaster. "Emergency" means an unforeseen combination of <br />circumstances that calls for immediate action to prevent a disaster from developing or occurring. "Disaster" <br />means a situation that creates an actual or imminent serious threat to the health and safety of persons or a <br />situation that has resulted or is likely to result in catastrophic loss to property or the environment. <br />Subd. 4. Vacancies in town offices. Special elections to fill vacancies in town offices as provided in <br />section 367.03, subdivision 6, must be held with the town general election or on a date authorized by <br />subdivision 3a. <br />Subd. 5. Limit on ballot questions. The governing body of a city or town may not act to submit a ballot <br />question at a general or special election and may not accept a petition for submission of a ballot question at <br />a general or special election unless all election -related deadlines can be met, including publication deadlines <br />for all required notices. A petition rejected under this subdivision may be resubmitted at a time when <br />compliance with all election -related deadlines is possible. Nothing in this subdivision requires the scheduling <br />of a special election for a ballot question. <br />Subd. 6. Cancellation. A special election ordered by the governing body of the municipality on its own <br />motion under subdivision 1 may be canceled by motion of the governing body, but not less than 74 days <br />before the election. <br />History: 1959 c 675 art 6 s 10; 1976 c 2 s 74; 1976 c 44 s 6; 1981 c 29 art 7 s 38; 1981 c 172 s 1; 1983 <br />c 62 s 4; 1993 c 375 art 7 s 7; 1994 c 646 s 8,9; 1997 c 147 s 42; 1999 c 75 s 1; 1999 c 132 s 31, 32; 2003 <br />c 75 s 1; 2008 c 244 art 1 s 15; 2013 c 131 art 2 s 54; 2016 c 161 art 1 s 14; 2017 c 92 art 2 s 10,11 <br />Official Publication of the State of Minnesota <br />Revisor of Statutes <br />