St. Cloud City Council Sets Stage for 2026 Elections, Approves Write-in Candidate Registration Requirement

(KNSI) – St. Cloud City Clerk Seth Kauffman outlined a series of changes ahead of the 2026 election cycle during Monday’s city council meeting.

The council approved a resolution requiring write-in candidates to register before Election Day, bringing St. Cloud in line with state and federal election practices that already require write-in registration.

Kauffman told KNSI News the change was not intended to prevent anyone from running but to streamline the process for election judges. Under previous rules, election judges were required to tally every name written in on a ballot, including fictional characters and joke entries. “It eases the minds of our election judges on election day. We no longer have to tally in any type of deity or cartoon character or anything like that, that we would have had to do in the past.”

Voters approved a shift to odd-year elections in 2024, but the transition will not be fully complete until 2029. As a result, newly elected city council candidates will serve shorter terms. “Anyone who’s looking to run and thinks it’s a four-year term, it’s actually going to be a three-year term both 2026 and in 2028.”

Beginning in 2029, council members will serve four-year terms on the new odd-year cycle.

Candidates for St. Cloud City Council ward seats can file beginning May 19th through June 2nd. Filing requires 25 petition signatures and a $5 filing fee.

A primary will be held August 11th if three or more candidates file for any ward council seat, with the top two advancing to the general election ballot. The general election is set for November 3rd, and winners will be sworn in at the first council meeting of 2027.

Several changes to state election law also take effect this cycle. The election judge oath now includes language prohibiting the sharing of false information about voting or interference with voting. The Voter’s Bill of Rights has been updated to clarify rights related to voter registration updates and to remove a ban on candidates assisting voters. Campaign finance reports now require an email address.

County auditors must develop and submit a chain of custody plan covering all elections to the Secretary of State by June 1st, 2026, with updates due by June 1st of each state election year.

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