Section 204C.35 Federal, State, and Judicial Races
204C.35 FEDERAL, STATE, AND JUDICIAL RACES.
Subdivision 1.Automatic recounts.
(a) In a state primary when the difference between the votes cast for the candidates for nomination to a statewide federal office, state constitutional office, statewide judicial office, congressional office, state legislative office, or district judicial office:
(1) is less than one-half of one percent of the total number of votes counted for that nomination; or
(2) is ten votes or less and the total number of votes cast for the nomination is 400 votes or less;
and the difference determines the nomination, the canvassing board with responsibility for declaring the results for that office shall manually recount the vote.
(b) In a state general election when the difference between the votes of a candidate who would otherwise be declared elected to a statewide federal office, state constitutional office, statewide judicial office, congressional office, state legislative office, or district judicial office and the votes of any other candidate for that office:
(1) is less than one-half of one percent of the total number of votes counted for that office; or
(2) is ten votes or less if the total number of votes cast for the office is 400 votes or less,
the canvassing board shall manually recount the votes.
(c) A recount must not delay any other part of the canvass. The results of the recount must be certified by the canvassing board as soon as possible.
(d) Time for notice of a contest for an office which is recounted pursuant to this section shall begin to run upon certification of the results of the recount by the canvassing board.
(e) A losing candidate may waive a recount required pursuant to this section by filing a written notice of waiver with the canvassing board.
Subd. 2.Discretionary candidate recount.
(a) A losing candidate whose name was on the ballot for nomination or election to a statewide federal office, state constitutional office, statewide judicial office, congressional office, state legislative office, or district judicial office may request a recount in a manner provided in this section at the candidate's own expense when the vote difference is greater than the difference required by this section. The votes shall be manually recounted as provided in this section if the candidate files a request during the time for filing notice of contest of the primary or election for which a recount is sought.
(b) The requesting candidate shall file with the filing officer a bond, cash, or surety in an amount set by the filing officer for the payment of the recount expenses. The requesting candidate is responsible for the following expenses: the compensation of the secretary of state, or designees, and any election judge, municipal clerk, county auditor, administrator, or other personnel who participate in the recount; necessary supplies and travel related to the recount; the compensation of the appropriate canvassing board and costs of preparing for the canvass of recount results; and any attorney fees incurred in connection with the recount by the governing body responsible for the recount.
(c) The requesting candidate may provide the filing officer with a list of up to three precincts that are to be recounted first and may waive the balance of the recount after these precincts have been counted. If the candidate provides a list, the recount official must determine the expenses for those precincts in the manner provided by paragraph (b).
(d) If the winner of the race is changed by the optional recount, the cost of the recount must be paid by the jurisdiction conducting the recount.
(e) If a result of the vote counting in the manual recount is different from the result of the vote counting reported on election day by a margin greater than the standard for acceptable performance of voting systems provided in section 206.89, subdivision 4, the cost of the recount must be paid by the jurisdiction conducting the recount.
Subd. 3.Scope of recount.
A recount conducted as provided in this section is limited in scope to the determination of the number of votes validly cast for the office to be recounted. Only the ballots cast in the election and the summary statements certified by the election judges may be considered in the recount process. Original ballots that have been duplicated under section 206.86, subdivision 5, are not within the scope of a recount and must not be examined except as provided by a court in an election contest under chapter 209.
History:
1981 c 29 art 5 s 35; 1981 c 187 s 1; 1983 c 253 s 17; 1989 c 291 art 1 s 14; 1990 c 486 s 1; 1993 c 68 s 1; 1998 c 254 art 2 s 24; 1Sp2001 c 10 art 18 s 28; 2004 c 293 art 2 s 27; 2008 c 336 s 2,3; 2010 c 201 s 44,45