BROWN COUNTY — The election filing period for candidates in cities, townships and school districts where primary elections are not held opened Tuesday, July 14.

The filing period ends at 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 28.

New Ulm Public School District 88 school board member Steve Gag refiled for school board Tuesday. Board member Amanda Groebner stated in an email to The Journal that she will not seek another school board term.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, Lafayette Township had two individuals file–Jeff Schwerman for seat 1 and Chad Hoffmann for seat 3. In Gaylord, Avery Grochow filed for one of three open city council seats.

Nobody filed for election yet in Sleepy Eye, Springfield, Comfrey, Hanska, Cobden or Evan in Brown County, the City of Lafayette, Winthrop, Gibbon or Fairfax.

Primary elections are held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election.

Candidates for elected offices 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 and have not filed for another office at the upcoming general election.

School board candidates must not have been convicted of an offense for which they are required to register as a predatory offender.

City office candidates file for election by contacting 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.

School board candidates file for election with the district clerk to learn which offices will be on the upcoming election ballot.

All write-in votes are individually tallied without the need for a written request unless a school district adopts a resolution requiring write-in votes only be individually tallied if the total number of write-in votes is equal to or greater than the fewest number of non-write-in votes for a candidate on the ballot.

Cities may adopt a resolution about counting write-in votes for city offices.

Some charter cities may have additional candidate requirements. Candidates should check the city’s charter for possible additional requirements for write-in candidates.

For more information, visit https://www.sos.mn.gov/.