Bill Text: MN HF732 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Absentee voting without excuse authorized.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-16 - Author added Loeffler [HF732 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-HF732-Introduced.html
1.2relating to elections; authorizing absentee voting without excuse;amending
1.3Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 203B.02, subdivision 1; 203B.04, subdivisions
1.41, 6; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.04, subdivision 5.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.02, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 Subdivision 1. Unable to go to polling place; voting by absentee ballot.(a) Any
1.8eligible voterwho reasonably expects to be unable to go to the polling place on election
1.9day in the precinct where the individual maintains residence because of absence from the
1.10precinct; illness, including isolation or quarantine under sections
144.419 to
144.4196
1.11or United States Code, title 42, sections 264 to 272; disability; religious discipline;
1.12observance of a religious holiday; or service as an election judge in another precinct may
1.13vote by absentee ballot as provided in sections203B.04 to
203B.15 .
1.14(b) If the governor has declared an emergency and filed the declaration with the
1.15secretary of state under section
12.31, and the declaration states that the emergency has
1.16made it difficult for voters to go to the polling place on election day, any voter in a
1.17precinct covered by the declaration may vote by absentee ballot as provided in sections
1.18203B.04 to
203B.15.
1.19 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.04, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.20 Subdivision 1. Application procedures. Except as otherwise allowed by
1.21subdivision 2 or by section203B.11, subdivision 4 , an application for absentee ballots for
1.22any election may be submitted at any time not less than one day before the day of that
1.23election. The county auditor shall prepare absentee ballot application forms in the format
2.1provided by the secretary of state and shall furnish them to any person on request. By
2.2January 1 of each even-numbered year, the secretary of state shall make the forms to be
2.3used available to auditors through electronic means. An application submitted pursuant to
2.4this subdivision shall be in writing and shall be submitted to:
2.5 (1) the county auditor of the county where the applicant maintains residence; or
2.6 (2) the municipal clerk of the municipality, or school district if applicable, where
2.7the applicant maintains residence.
2.8 An application shall be approved if it is timely received, signed and dated by the
2.9applicant, contains the applicant's name and residence and mailing addresses, date of birth,
2.10and at least one of the following:
2.11(1) the applicant's Minnesota driver's license number;
2.12(2) Minnesota state identification card number;
2.13(3) the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security number; or
2.14(4) a statement that the applicant does not have any of these numbers.
2.15To be approved, the application muststate that the applicant is eligible to vote by
2.16absentee ballot for one of the reasons specified in section
203B.02, and must contain an
2.17oath that the information contained on the form is accurate, that the applicant is applying
2.18on the applicant's own behalf, and that the applicant is signing the form under penalty
2.19of perjury.
2.20An applicant's full date of birth, Minnesota driver's license or state identification
2.21number, and the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security number must not be
2.22made available for public inspection. An application may be submitted to the county
2.23auditor or municipal clerk by an electronic facsimile device. An application mailed or
2.24returned in person to the county auditor or municipal clerk on behalf of a voter by a
2.25person other than the voter must be deposited in the mail or returned in person to the
2.26county auditor or municipal clerk within ten days after it has been dated by the voter and
2.27no later than six days before the election. The absentee ballot applications or a list of
2.28persons applying for an absentee ballot may not be made available for public inspection
2.29until the close of voting on election day.
2.30 An application under this subdivision may contain an application under subdivision
2.315 to automatically receive an absentee ballot application.
2.32 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.04, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
2.33 Subd. 6. Ongoing absentee status; termination. (a) An eligible voter may apply to
2.34a county auditor or municipal clerk for status as an ongoing absentee voterwho reasonably
2.35expects to meet the requirements of section
203B.02, subdivision 1
3.1automatically be provided with an absentee ballot application for each ensuing election
3.2other than an election by mail conducted under section204B.45 , and must have the status
3.3of ongoing absentee voter indicated on the voter's registration record.
3.4(b) Ongoing absentee voter status ends on:
3.5(1) the voter's written request;
3.6(2) the voter's death;
3.7(3) return of an ongoing absentee ballot as undeliverable;
3.8(4) a change in the voter's status so that the voter is not eligible to vote under section
3.9201.15
or
201.155 ; or
3.10(5) placement of the voter's registration on inactive status under section201.171 .
3.11 Sec. 4. REPEALER.
3.12Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.04, subdivision 5, is repealed.
1.3Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 203B.02, subdivision 1; 203B.04, subdivisions
1.41, 6; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.04, subdivision 5.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.02, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 Subdivision 1. Unable to go to polling place; voting by absentee ballot.
1.8eligible voter
1.9
1.10
1.11
1.12
1.13vote by absentee ballot as provided in sections
1.14
1.15
1.16
1.17
1.18
1.19 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.04, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.20 Subdivision 1. Application procedures. Except as otherwise allowed by
1.21subdivision 2 or by section
1.22any election may be submitted at any time not less than one day before the day of that
1.23election. The county auditor shall prepare absentee ballot application forms in the format
2.1provided by the secretary of state and shall furnish them to any person on request. By
2.2January 1 of each even-numbered year, the secretary of state shall make the forms to be
2.3used available to auditors through electronic means. An application submitted pursuant to
2.4this subdivision shall be in writing and shall be submitted to:
2.5 (1) the county auditor of the county where the applicant maintains residence; or
2.6 (2) the municipal clerk of the municipality, or school district if applicable, where
2.7the applicant maintains residence.
2.8 An application shall be approved if it is timely received, signed and dated by the
2.9applicant, contains the applicant's name and residence and mailing addresses, date of birth,
2.10and at least one of the following:
2.11(1) the applicant's Minnesota driver's license number;
2.12(2) Minnesota state identification card number;
2.13(3) the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security number; or
2.14(4) a statement that the applicant does not have any of these numbers.
2.15To be approved, the application must
2.16
2.17oath that the information contained on the form is accurate, that the applicant is applying
2.18on the applicant's own behalf, and that the applicant is signing the form under penalty
2.19of perjury.
2.20An applicant's full date of birth, Minnesota driver's license or state identification
2.21number, and the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security number must not be
2.22made available for public inspection. An application may be submitted to the county
2.23auditor or municipal clerk by an electronic facsimile device. An application mailed or
2.24returned in person to the county auditor or municipal clerk on behalf of a voter by a
2.25person other than the voter must be deposited in the mail or returned in person to the
2.26county auditor or municipal clerk within ten days after it has been dated by the voter and
2.27no later than six days before the election. The absentee ballot applications or a list of
2.28persons applying for an absentee ballot may not be made available for public inspection
2.29until the close of voting on election day.
2.30 An application under this subdivision may contain an application under subdivision
2.315 to automatically receive an absentee ballot application.
2.32 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.04, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
2.33 Subd. 6. Ongoing absentee status; termination. (a) An eligible voter may apply to
2.34a county auditor or municipal clerk for status as an ongoing absentee voter
2.35
3.1automatically be provided with an absentee ballot application for each ensuing election
3.2other than an election by mail conducted under section
3.3of ongoing absentee voter indicated on the voter's registration record.
3.4(b) Ongoing absentee voter status ends on:
3.5(1) the voter's written request;
3.6(2) the voter's death;
3.7(3) return of an ongoing absentee ballot as undeliverable;
3.8(4) a change in the voter's status so that the voter is not eligible to vote under section
3.10(5) placement of the voter's registration on inactive status under section
3.11 Sec. 4. REPEALER.
3.12Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.04, subdivision 5, is repealed.
