Candidates running for mayor of Minnesota’s two largest cities can file to put their names on the November ballot starting Tuesday.
In Minneapolis, there are already about a dozen candidates who’ve registered campaigns with Hennepin County elections officials. Even more are expected to file for office, because incumbent Mayor R.T. Rybak isn’t seeking re-election, and the filing fee is only $20.
In St. Paul, the race is considerably less crowded. Incumbent Chris Coleman is seeking a third term and has drawn only one challenger thus far — small business owner Tim Holden. The cost of filing for mayor of St. Paul is also considerably more — $500.
Neither race will involve a primary election. Both cities use a system called ranked-choice voting that compresses the primary and general elections into a single event.
The filing period remains open for the next two weeks, ending Aug. 13.