A bill for an act
relating to elections; providing various election reforms; restoring the civil right
to vote of an individual upon release from incarceration or upon sentencing if no
incarceration is imposed; requiring notice; modifying in-person voting time periods;
providing requirements for absentee voting eligibility; requiring an individual to
present identification before voting; providing free voter identification cards;
making technical changes; prohibiting electronic rosters from having a wireless
connection; prohibiting electronic voting systems from having wireless or Internet
connectivity capabilities; requiring reports; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2020, sections 13.6905, by adding a subdivision; 144.226, by
adding subdivisions; 171.06, subdivisions 1, 2, by adding a subdivision; 171.061,
subdivisions 1, 3, 4; 171.07, subdivisions 1a, 4, 14, by adding a subdivision;
171.071, subdivisions 1, 2; 171.10, subdivision 1; 171.11; 171.12, subdivision 3c;
171.121; 171.14; 201.014, by adding a subdivision; 201.022, subdivision 1;
201.061, subdivisions 1, 1a, 3; 201.071, subdivisions 1, 2, 3; 201.091, subdivision
9; 201.121, subdivision 1; 201.13, subdivision 3; 201.14; 201.145, subdivisions
2, 3, 4, 5; 201.161; 201.221, subdivision 3; 201.225, subdivision 2; 203B.02,
subdivision 1; 203B.04, subdivisions 1, 4, 5, by adding a subdivision; 203B.06,
subdivision 1; 203B.065; 203B.07, subdivision 3; 203B.08, subdivision 1;
203B.081, subdivisions 1, 3; 203B.121, subdivision 2; 203B.17, subdivision 2;
203B.19; 203B.21, subdivision 3; 203B.24, subdivision 1; 204B.45, subdivision
2; 204B.46; 204C.08, subdivision 1d; 204C.10; 206.56, subdivision 8; 256E.22,
subdivision 1; 609.165, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapters 200; 201; 203B; 204C; 243; 357; repealing Minnesota Statutes
2020, section 201.061, subdivision 7.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 201.014, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:
new text begin
An individual convicted
of a felony has the civil right to vote restored when the individual completes any incarceration
imposed and executed by the court for the offense, or upon sentencing if no incarceration
is imposed. If the individual is later incarcerated for the same offense, the individual's civil
right to vote is lost only during the period of incarceration.
new text end
Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 201.071, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Both paper and electronic voter registration applications must
contain the same information unless otherwise provided by law. A voter registration
application must contain spaces for the following required information: voter's first name,
middle name, and last name; voter's previous name, if any; voter's current address; voter's
previous address, if any; voter's date of birth; voter's municipality and county of residence;
voter's telephone number, if provided by the voter; date of registration; current and valid
Minnesota driver's license number or Minnesota state identification number, or if the voter
has no current and valid Minnesota driver's license or Minnesota state identification, the
last four digits of the voter's Social Security number; and voter's signature. The paper
registration application may include the voter's e-mail address, if provided by the voter. The
electronic voter registration application must include the voter's e-mail address. The
registration application may include the voter's interest in serving as an election judge, if
indicated by the voter. The application must also contain the following certification of voter
eligibility:
"I certify that I:
(1) will be at least 18 years old on election day;
(2) am a citizen of the United States;
(3) will have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding election day;
(4) maintain residence at the address given on the registration form;
(5) am not under court-ordered guardianship in which the court order revokes my right
to vote;
(6) have not been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote;
(7) deleted text beginhave the right to vote because, if I have been convicted of a felony, my felony sentence
has expired (been completed) or I have been discharged from my sentencedeleted text endnew text begin am not currently
incarcerated for a felony offensenew text end; and
(8) have read and understand the following statement: that giving false information is a
felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment or a fine of not more than
$10,000, or both."
The certification must include boxes for the voter to respond to the following questions:
"(1) Are you a citizen of the United States?" and
"(2) Will you be 18 years old on or before election day?"
And the instruction:
"If you checked 'no' to either of these questions, do not complete this form."
The form of the voter registration application and the certification of voter eligibility
must be as provided in this subdivision and approved by the secretary of state. Voter
registration forms authorized by the National Voter Registration Act must also be accepted
as valid. The federal postcard application form must also be accepted as valid if it is not
deficient and the voter is eligible to register in Minnesota.
An individual may use a voter registration application to apply to register to vote in
Minnesota or to change information on an existing registration.
new text begin
The secretary of state shall develop accurate and complete information in a single
publication about the voting rights of people who have been charged with or convicted of
a crime. This publication must be made available electronically to the state court administrator
for distribution to judges, court personnel, probation officers, and the commissioner of
corrections for distribution to corrections officials, parole and supervised release agents,
and the public.
new text end
Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 204C.10, is amended to read:
(a) An individual seeking to vote shall sign a polling place roster or voter signature
certificate which states that the individualnew text begin:
new text end
new text begin (1)new text end is at least 18 years of agedeleted text begin,deleted text endnew text begin;
new text end
new text begin (2) isnew text end a citizen of the United Statesdeleted text begin,deleted text endnew text begin;
new text end
new text begin (3)new text end has resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding the electiondeleted text begin,deleted text endnew text begin;
new text end
new text begin (4)new text end maintains residence at the address showndeleted text begin,deleted text endnew text begin;
new text end
new text begin (5)new text end is not under a guardianship in which the court order revokes the individual's right to
votedeleted text begin,deleted text endnew text begin;
new text end
new text begin (6)new text end has not been found by a court of law to be legally incompetent to vote deleted text beginordeleted text endnew text begin;
new text end
new text begin (7)new text end has the right to vote because, if the individual was convicted of a felony, deleted text beginthe felony
sentence has expired or been completed ordeleted text end the individual has deleted text beginbeen discharged from the
sentence,deleted text endnew text begin completed the term of incarceration, if any, for the felony offense;
new text end
new text begin (8)new text end is registerednew text begin;new text end and
new text begin (9)new text end has not already voted in the election.
The roster must also state: "I understand that deliberately providing false information
is a felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment and a fine of not more than
$10,000, or both."
(b) At the presidential nomination primary, the polling place roster must also state: "I
am in general agreement with the principles of the party for whose candidate I intend to
vote." This statement must appear separately from the statements required in paragraph (a).
The felony penalty provided for in paragraph (a) does not apply to this paragraph.
(c) A judge may, before the applicant signs the roster or voter signature certificate,
confirm the applicant's name, address, and date of birth.
(d) After the applicant signs the roster or voter signature certificate, the judge shall give
the applicant a voter's receipt. The voter shall deliver the voter's receipt to the judge in
charge of ballots as proof of the voter's right to vote, and thereupon the judge shall hand to
the voter the ballot. The voters' receipts must be maintained during the time for notice of
filing an election contest.
(e) Whenever a challenged status appears on the polling place roster, an election judge
must ensure that the challenge is concealed or hidden from the view of any voter other than
the voter whose status is challenged.
new text begin
The chief executive
officer of each state and local correctional facility shall designate an official within the
facility to provide the notice and application required under this section to persons to whom
the civil right to vote is restored by reason of the persons' release from actual incarceration.
The official shall maintain an adequate supply of vo