Minnesota Grassroots-Cannabis Party losing major political status
(FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party, one of Minnesota's two marijuana parties, will get demoted from its major political party status at the end of the year after failing to get 5% of the vote in a statewide race in either 2020 or 2022.
The party will no longer be recognized as a major political party come Dec. 31. However, the Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party did receive more than 1% of the vote in the State Auditor's race on Nov. 8, so it can receive minor political party status if certification is filed by the end of the year.
The state’s other marijuana legalization party – Legal Marijuana Now – has kept its major party status.
Major party status means there is no signature requirement for candidates to get on the ballot in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the Independence-Alliance Party will no longer be recognized as a minor political party after Dec. 31 because it failed to meet the 1% requirement for minor political party status in both 2022 and 2020.
According to the State Canvassing Board’s certified election results, 2,525,873 Minnesotans cast ballots, or 61% of the population, in the 2022 general election. A total of 672,571 voters cast an absentee or mail-in ballot, which equates to 26.6% of the total votes cast.
Voter turnout decreased from a record-high midterm of 64.3% achieved in 2018 but was ahead of the 20-year average of 59.5%.