diff --git a/src/common/meta/src/key.rs b/src/common/meta/src/key.rs
index 2862d9d402..8621d772d5 100644
--- a/src/common/meta/src/key.rs
+++ b/src/common/meta/src/key.rs
@@ -182,6 +182,11 @@ pub const KAFKA_TOPIC_KEY_PREFIX: &str = "__topic_name/kafka";
 pub const LEGACY_TOPIC_KEY_PREFIX: &str = "__created_wal_topics/kafka";
 pub const TOPIC_REGION_PREFIX: &str = "__topic_region";
 
+/// The election key.
+pub const ELECTION_KEY: &str = "__metasrv_election";
+/// The root key of metasrv election candidates.
+pub const CANDIDATES_ROOT: &str = "__metasrv_election_candidates/";
+
 /// The keys with these prefixes will be loaded into the cache when the leader starts.
 pub const CACHE_KEY_PREFIXES: [&str; 5] = [
     TABLE_NAME_KEY_PREFIX,
diff --git a/src/common/meta/src/snapshot.rs b/src/common/meta/src/snapshot.rs
index 6cd94768a9..e0942dde5f 100644
--- a/src/common/meta/src/snapshot.rs
+++ b/src/common/meta/src/snapshot.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use std::time::Instant;
 
 use common_telemetry::info;
 use file::{Metadata, MetadataContent};
-use futures::TryStreamExt;
+use futures::{future, TryStreamExt};
 use object_store::ObjectStore;
 use snafu::{OptionExt, ResultExt};
 use strum::Display;
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ use crate::error::{
     Error, InvalidFileExtensionSnafu, InvalidFileNameSnafu, InvalidFilePathSnafu, ReadObjectSnafu,
     Result, WriteObjectSnafu,
 };
+use crate::key::{CANDIDATES_ROOT, ELECTION_KEY};
 use crate::kv_backend::KvBackendRef;
 use crate::range_stream::{PaginationStream, DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE};
 use crate::rpc::store::{BatchPutRequest, RangeRequest};
@@ -162,6 +163,11 @@ pub struct MetadataSnapshotManager {
 /// The maximum size of the request to put metadata, use 1MiB by default.
 const MAX_REQUEST_SIZE: usize = 1024 * 1024;
 
+/// Returns true if the key is an internal key.
+fn is_internal_key(kv: &FileKeyValue) -> bool {
+    kv.key == ELECTION_KEY.as_bytes() || kv.key == CANDIDATES_ROOT.as_bytes()
+}
+
 impl MetadataSnapshotManager {
     pub fn new(kv_backend: KvBackendRef, object_store: ObjectStore) -> Self {
         Self {
@@ -250,7 +256,10 @@ impl MetadataSnapshotManager {
             })
         })
         .into_stream();
-        let keyvalues = stream.try_collect::<Vec<_>>().await?;
+        let keyvalues = stream
+            .try_filter(|f| future::ready(!is_internal_key(f)))
+            .try_collect::<Vec<_>>()
+            .await?;
         let num_keyvalues = keyvalues.len();
         let document = Document::new(
             Metadata::new(),
diff --git a/src/meta-srv/src/election.rs b/src/meta-srv/src/election.rs
index 8163e2b9ad..f8d4a1e2bd 100644
--- a/src/meta-srv/src/election.rs
+++ b/src/meta-srv/src/election.rs
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ use tokio::sync::broadcast::{self, Receiver, Sender};
 use crate::error::Result;
 use crate::metasrv::MetasrvNodeInfo;
 
-pub const ELECTION_KEY: &str = "__metasrv_election";
-pub const CANDIDATES_ROOT: &str = "__metasrv_election_candidates/";
-
 pub(crate) const CANDIDATE_LEASE_SECS: u64 = 600;
 const KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL_SECS: u64 = CANDIDATE_LEASE_SECS / 2;
 
diff --git a/src/meta-srv/src/election/etcd.rs b/src/meta-srv/src/election/etcd.rs
index bf4bfa049d..936f9548ac 100644
--- a/src/meta-srv/src/election/etcd.rs
+++ b/src/meta-srv/src/election/etcd.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use common_meta::distributed_time_constants::{META_KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL_SECS, META_LEASE_SECS};
+use common_meta::key::{CANDIDATES_ROOT, ELECTION_KEY};
 use common_telemetry::{error, info, warn};
 use etcd_client::{
     Client, GetOptions, LeaderKey as EtcdLeaderKey, LeaseKeepAliveStream, LeaseKeeper, PutOptions,
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ use tokio::time::{timeout, MissedTickBehavior};
 
 use crate::election::{
     listen_leader_change, send_leader_change_and_set_flags, Election, LeaderChangeMessage,
-    LeaderKey, CANDIDATES_ROOT, CANDIDATE_LEASE_SECS, ELECTION_KEY, KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL_SECS,
+    LeaderKey, CANDIDATE_LEASE_SECS, KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL_SECS,
 };
 use crate::error;
 use crate::error::Result;
diff --git a/src/meta-srv/src/election/rds/mysql.rs b/src/meta-srv/src/election/rds/mysql.rs
index 27b348a83a..e36e1bfacd 100644
--- a/src/meta-srv/src/election/rds/mysql.rs
+++ b/src/meta-srv/src/election/rds/mysql.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
+use common_meta::key::{CANDIDATES_ROOT, ELECTION_KEY};
 use common_telemetry::{error, warn};
 use common_time::Timestamp;
 use snafu::{ensure, OptionExt, ResultExt};
@@ -29,7 +30,6 @@ use tokio::time::MissedTickBehavior;
 use crate::election::rds::{parse_value_and_expire_time, Lease, RdsLeaderKey, LEASE_SEP};
 use crate::election::{
     listen_leader_change, send_leader_change_and_set_flags, Election, LeaderChangeMessage,
-    CANDIDATES_ROOT, ELECTION_KEY,
 };
 use crate::error::{
     AcquireMySqlClientSnafu, DecodeSqlValueSnafu, DeserializeFromJsonSnafu,
diff --git a/src/meta-srv/src/election/rds/postgres.rs b/src/meta-srv/src/election/rds/postgres.rs
index b8c4ff718e..7caa3a249b 100644
--- a/src/meta-srv/src/election/rds/postgres.rs
+++ b/src/meta-srv/src/election/rds/postgres.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
+use common_meta::key::{CANDIDATES_ROOT, ELECTION_KEY};
 use common_telemetry::{error, warn};
 use common_time::Timestamp;
 use deadpool_postgres::{Manager, Pool};
@@ -28,7 +29,6 @@ use tokio_postgres::Row;
 use crate::election::rds::{parse_value_and_expire_time, Lease, RdsLeaderKey, LEASE_SEP};
 use crate::election::{
     listen_leader_change, send_leader_change_and_set_flags, Election, LeaderChangeMessage,
-    CANDIDATES_ROOT, ELECTION_KEY,
 };
 use crate::error::{
     DeserializeFromJsonSnafu, GetPostgresClientSnafu, NoLeaderSnafu, PostgresExecutionSnafu,