IV.4. Second Reading Ordinance Amending Chapter 4 of the Hopkins Charter (Write-in Tally); Domeier
CITY OF HOPKINS
City Council Report 2025-019
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: Amy Domeier, City Clerk
Date: February 4, 2025
Subject: Ordinance No. 2025-1221 Amendment of the Hopkins Charter by
Ordinance
_____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
MOTION TO Approve for Second Reading Ordinance 2025-1221 Amendment of the
Hopkins Charter by Ordinance.
OVERVIEW
No changes have been made to the Ordinance since the first reading.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
• Ordinance 2025-1221
Administration
CITY OF HOPKINS
HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE NO. 2024-1221
AMENDMENT OF THE HOPKINS CHARTER BY ORDINANCE
The City Council of the City of Hopkins, upon recommendation of and from the Hopkins
City Charter Commission does hereby ordain and thus amend and adopt the following
changes, deletions, and amendments of or from the following chapters and sections of
the Hopkins City Charter:
SECTION 1. Section 4.02 – Candidates is amended by adding the underlined
language as follows:
Section 4.02. Candidates. A candidate for a city office shall file an affidavit not
more than 70 days and not less than 56 days before the municipal general
election with the city clerk, or application on behalf of any qualified voter of the
city whom they desire to be a candidate may be made as per state law. In
either case, the filing fee shall be $25.00. Such affidavit or application shall
state that the candidate is a qualified voter of the city and name the office for
which he is a candidate. Any candidate may withdraw not later than 12:00
noon of the day following the last day for filing by filing a notice of withdrawal
with the city clerk.
The City Council must adopt a resolution requiring a write-in candidate for mayor
or city council who wants their write-in votes to be counted in the general election
to file a written request with the city clerk within the timeline established in
Minnesota Statues, section 204B.09, subdivision 3. All write -in votes cast for
candidates who have not filed a written request to have these votes counted shall
be treated collectively as votes for a single candidate.
SECTION 2. The effective date of this ordinance shall be effective 90 days after
publication.
First Reading: January 21, 2025
Second Reading: February 4, 2025
Date of Publication: February 13, 2025
Date Ordinance Takes Effect: May 14, 2025
By_____________________
Patrick Hanlon, Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________
Amy Domeier, City Clerk
SAMPLE Municipal Resolution for counting write-in votes
RESOLUTION FOR COUNTING WRITE-IN VOTES FOR
LOCAL ELECTIVE OFFICE
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statute 204B.09, subdivision 3 allows for the governing body of
a statutory or home rule charter city to adopt a resolution governing the counting of
write-in votes for local elective office.
WHEREAS, the current write-in vote counting process is overly time consuming and
unnecessary. Counting only registered write-in candidates aligns the write-in recording
process with Federal, State and County offices.
THEREFORE, NOW BE IT RESOLVED that the City of _________ hereby requires
candidates for city office to file a written request with the chief election official no later
than the seventh day before the city election if the candidate wants to have the
candidate’s write-in votes individually recorded.