Candidates begin filing for office today
Minnesota's election season officially opened Tuesday, with candidate filings at courthouses and election bureaus across the state.
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie greeted some of the candidates as they filed for election at his office in St. Paul.
The filing period is almost a month earlier this year than in the past, because Minnesota's primary election has been moved from September to August to accommodate absentee ballots for members of the military serving overseas.
Ritchie said he expects Minnesota will get less national attention this year.
"Because this is really the beginning of the official political and campaign season, we're going to see now the shaping of the race," said Ritchie. "It will really be about Minnesota, and there won't be any of that presidential or Senate or any of that national stuff."
Filings for most offices closes June 1. The governor, auditor, attorney general and secretary of state are on the ballot, as are three Supreme Court justices. All 201 seats in the Legislature are also up for election this year.
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