The two-week filing period for candidates in the Nov. 4 Municipal Election begins today. The offices on the ballot are:

• Mayor
• City Council (Wards 1-13)
• Board of Estimate & Taxation Member (2 positions)
• Park Board Commissioners At Large (3 positions)
• Park Board Commissioners (Districts 1-6)

Candidates must file in person at the Elections & Voter Services office at 980 E. Hennepin Ave. The office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The last day to file is Tuesday, Aug. 12, with the office closing at 5 p.m. that day. The deadline for candidates to withdraw is 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14.

In order to be eligible to hold local elected office in Minnesota, a candidate must be eligible to vote in the state, not have filed for the same or any other office on the ballot in the same election, be 21 or older upon assuming office and have maintained residence in the election district for at least 30 days before the election.

View the full candidate filing process at vote.minneapolismn.gov/run-for-office/filing-for-office. 

What candidates need to bring

Please bring one of the following documents when you come to file at our office:

• Valid Minnesota Driver's license, Minnesota identification card, or receipt issued with current address
• Tribal ID with address, signature, and picture of the individual

If you do not have one of the above documents, bring both an approved photo ID and an approved document of residency from the following lists:

Approved Photo IDs:

• Driver's license, state ID or learner’s permit issued by any state
• S. Passport
• S. Military or Veteran ID
• Tribal ID with name, signature and photo
• Minnesota university, college or technical college ID
• Minnesota high school ID

Approved Documents of Residency:

• Bill, account or start-of-service statement due or dated within 30 days of the election for:
• Phone, TV or internet
• Solid waste, sewer, electric, gas or water
• Banking or credit card
• Rent or mortgage
• Residential lease or rent agreement valid through Election Day
• Current student fee statement

Payment for filing fees or petition in lieu of filing fee:

The filing fee for each office is:

• Mayor - $500
• City Council - $250
• Board of Estimate & Taxation - $100
• Park & Recreation Board - $100

We can accept cash or checks. We cannot accept credit card payments.

• In lieu of a filing fee, candidates for municipal offices can submit a petition. The number of signatures required on the petition differs depending on the office sought. A list of the signature requirements can be found at minneapolismn.gov/candidates/filing-for-office/filing-fees-and-petition-signatures.

What candidates can expect when filing for office

• Please be prepared to wait if all filing officers are with other candidates when you arrive.
• City officials need to verify eligibility at the time of filing.
• All paperwork will be provided for you, will be completed on site with a filing officer, and needs to be signed and notarized.
• Filing fees must be paid at the time of filing, or a petition must be filed at the time of filing.
• All candidates will receive the 2025 candidate information packet at the time of filing.
• You must submit a statement of economic interest within 14 days after the end of the filing period. This form is submitted through the MapLight campaign finance portal.

Throughout the candidate filing period, the City’s election website (vote.minneapolismn.gov) will be updated with information about the candidate filings received to date.

This election uses ranked choice voting

Minneapolis voters use ranked choice voting to elect all Municipal offices. Ranked choice voting is a way of voting that eliminates the need for separate primary elections. Each office, voters rank up to three candidates for each office in order of preference. Ranked choice voting is used only for municipal elections in Minneapolis. 

More information on ranked-choice voting is available at vote.minneapolismn.gov/rcv.

Early voting opens Sept. 19

The Early Vote Center at 980 E. Hennepin Ave. opens 8 a.m. on Sept. 19 for voters who wish to cast their ballot early and in-person. Also on Sept. 19, Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services begins mailing ballots to voters who have requested to vote early by mail. Learn more about how to vote early this year at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters.