The Minnesota Legislature last session created new criteria for major party status. To qualify, a party must hold local conventions and have executive committees for at least 45 counties or legislative districts, and must submit documentation that includes the list of dates and locations of those conventions during a general election year.
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The secretary of state’s office told the Legal Marijuana Now Party it needed to submit specific dates and locations of the conventions. Schuller submitted a third letter, which included a list of the party’s 2022 conventions. The list consisted of its state convention, eight legislative district conventions and 67 legislative district or county conventions, all held on the same date in June 2022 at an address in Bloomington and online via Zoom.
It locks creation of a party behind the wealth gate. If they aren’t represented in most of the counties it’s their problem. Organizing 49 commitees and physical conventions isn’t cheap nor simple, thus indirectly means they need to be backed by sponsors.