Minnesota Saint Paul, in east-central Minnesota along the banks of the Mississippi River, has been Minnesota's capital city since 1849, first as capital of the Territory of Minnesota, and then as the state capital since 1858. Saint Paul is adjacent to Minnesota's most populous city, Minneapolis; they and their suburbs are known collectively as the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, and home to about 54 percent of the state's population. The remainder of the state is known as "Greater Minnesota" or pejoratively "Outstate Minnesota". The state has 17 cities with populations above 50,000 (as
Minnesota Secretary of State filing office. The Secretary of State is also the chief election official in Minnesota and is responsible for administration of the Minnesota election law. The secretary of state administers the open appointments process and publishes the "Minnesota Legislative Manual", a compendium of federal, state and county government information. The Secretary of State serves as a member on the Minnesota Executive Council, Minnesota Board of Investment, and the Minnesota Historical Society executive board. In 1886, elections were moved from odd years to even years. Beginning with the 1962 election, the term of the office increased from two to four years. Minnesota