On February 25, the Minnesota House passed SF 2251, which moves the primary from mid-September to August 10. It takes effect this year.

The bill also moves the petition deadline for independent candidates (for office other than president) from 56 days before the primary, to 70 days before the primary. If it is signed into law, the independent candidate deadline this year moves from July 17 to June 1.

Courts in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, have ruled that independent candidates (for office other than president) cannot be forced to file their petitions as early as the same day on which primary candidates file. But no one in Minnesota government seems to be aware of this.

SF 2251 is still not through the legislature. The House amended the bill, so now it returns to the Senate.