[EL] Query about Minnesota state law that delays a US House election until 2021 due to death of a candidate

[Rob Richie]

This Minnesota story surprised me. A hotly contested U.S. House race with
an incumbent U.S. House Member facing a strong challenge will be delayed
until February 2021 because of the death of a major party candidate -- in
this case, the ominee of Legal Marijuana Now party, which achieved its
status due to a nominee earning more than five percent of the vote in a
statewide race in 2018.

I get the impetus for the 2013 state law, which is the chaos in the state
after Sen. Paul Wellstone's death close to the November 2002 elections, but
it does raise questions about whether a state has the right to override the
federal statute requiring a uniform Election Day. The seat will go vacant
when the current term ends on January 3rd. For instance, that law required
Louisiana to stop allowing election of House Members in October before the
federal Election Day in November  in its all-partsan primary that can be
decisively won if any candiates gets a majority; the state now has that
"primary" on Election Day in November, and any necessary runoff in December.

So is Minnesota in complaince with federal law here?

I'll provide the link and the opening paragraph.
Rob

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/24/minnesota-congressional-election-delayed-421317


*Competitive congressional election delayed after death of
third-party candidate*

*This fall's election will be canceled, and freshman Democratic Rep. Angie
Craig's seat will become vacant next January.*

By ALLY MUTNICK
09/24/2020 04:24 PM EDT

The death of a third-party candidate running against freshman Democratic
Rep. Angie Craig has triggered the postponement of this year's vote and
scheduled a special election next year in her Twin Cities-area district.

The Minnesota secretary of state’s office confirmed Thursday the death of
Adam Weeks, a farmer running under the Legal Marijuana Now party, and that
the seat would become vacant at the start of the next term. State law
requires that the November election be delayed and a a special election be
held on the second Tuesday in February if a major party nominee dies within
79 days of Election Day. Early voting began in Minnesota last week....... A
special election in February will likely be a low-turnout affair, making
the outcome unpredictable.











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