This bill amends Minnesota election laws to establish procedures for filling vacancies in legislative offices under specific circumstances. It allows for the second-most vote-getter in a recent election to take office if a vacancy arises due to a successful election contest based on candidate misconduct. The bill specifies that the chief clerk of the house or the secretary of the senate must notify the secretary of state of such a vacancy, and if no election contest is filed within two business days, the secretary of state will issue a certificate of election to the candidate who received the second-most votes.

Additionally, the bill modifies the definition of what constitutes a vacancy in legislative offices, expanding the criteria to include instances of ineligibility or significant violations of election laws. It removes the previous language that limited the definition of a vacancy to certain conditions and adds new provisions that outline the process for declaring and filling these vacancies. Overall, the bill aims to streamline the process of filling legislative vacancies and ensure that the election outcomes are respected, even in cases of misconduct.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 209.021, 209.10, 351.02