Special Meeting to Canvass 2013 General Election ResultsCITY OF HOPKINS
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
From: Kris Luedke, City Clerk
Copy: Mike Mornson, City Manager
Date: August 20, 2013
Subject: Special Meeting to Canvass 2013 General Election Results
City Clerk
Staff recommends that Council approve the following motion: Move to schedule a Special
Council Meeting; for Tuesday. November 12. 2013 at 6:30 p.m. to canvass the 2013 General
Election results.
Background
City Charter Section 2.03 requires that after the City general election, the City Council shall,
at their next regularly scheduled meeting, meet as the canvassing board and declare the results
of the election. Also, Minnesota Statute 205.185 sub. 3, states the canvassing of municipal
general election results must be conducted between the third and tenth days after the election.
Therefore, staff is requesting that a Special Council Meeting be set for Tuesday, November 12
prior to the regularly scheduled Council Work Session.
The canvassing board declares the results of the election. A plurality of votes is sufficient to
elect. This means the candidate receiving the highest number of votes, whether or not that
number equals a majority, is elected. If the election results in a tie, the winner should be
determined by lot in the presence of the council acting as the canvassing board.
Once the council has announced the results of the election and notified candidates of their
election, any challenge needs to go through the county's district court under the contested -
elections procedure.