Minnesota Statutes Elections (Ch. 200-212) § 209A.08. Results of contest

Subdivision 1. Generally. When the court decides an election contest under this chapter, the court may invalidate and revoke any election certificate which has been issued to a presidential elector. If the contest involved an error in the counting of ballots, the official authorized to issue the certificate of election shall issue the certificate to the person entitled to it, but if a contestant succeeds in a contest where there is no question as to which of the candidates received the highest number of votes cast at the election, the contestant is not, by reason of the disqualification of the contestee, entitled to the certificate of election.

Subd. 2. Defective ballots. In a contested election, if the court decides that a serious and material defect in the ballots used changed the outcome of the election, the election must be declared invalid.

Subd. 3. Costs of contest. If the contestee succeeds, costs of the contest must be paid by the contestant. If the contestant succeeds, costs of the contest must be paid by the contestee, except that if the contestee loses because of an error in the counting of ballots or canvass of the returns or because of any other irregularity in the election procedure, costs must be paid, in the discretion of the judge, by the election jurisdictions responsible for errors which resulted in the reversal of the prior results of the election.