HF 1119

1st Unofficial Engrossment - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to elections; changing certain requirements 
  1.3             and procedures; amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, 
  1.4             sections 5.08; 10A.01, subdivisions 5, 21, 33; 10A.04, 
  1.5             subdivisions 4, 6; 15.0597, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 5, 
  1.6             6, 7; 15.0599, subdivision 4; 126C.17, subdivision 9; 
  1.7             201.061, subdivision 3; 201.071, subdivision 3; 
  1.8             201.161; 201.1611, subdivision 1; 201.171; 201.221, 
  1.9             subdivision 3; 202A.14, subdivision 3; 203B.085; 
  1.10            203B.125; 203B.13, subdivisions 1, 2; 204B.06, 
  1.11            subdivision 1; 204B.07, subdivision 2; 204B.09, 
  1.12            subdivisions 1, 3; 204B.14, subdivision 2; 204B.16, 
  1.13            subdivisions 1, 3; 204B.18, subdivision 1; 204B.19, 
  1.14            subdivisions 1, 6; 204B.21, subdivisions 1, 2; 
  1.15            204B.22, by adding a subdivision; 204B.34, subdivision 
  1.16            3; 204B.36, subdivision 4; 204B.41; 204C.06, by adding 
  1.17            a subdivision; 204C.07, subdivision 4; 204C.10; 
  1.18            204C.12, subdivision 4; 204C.19, subdivision 1; 
  1.19            204C.20, subdivision 2; 204C.24, subdivision 1; 
  1.20            204C.35, by adding a subdivision; 204C.36, 
  1.21            subdivisions 1, 3, by adding a subdivision; 204C.361; 
  1.22            204D.14, by adding a subdivision; 204D.27, subdivision 
  1.23            11; 205.02, subdivision 1; 205.075, by adding a 
  1.24            subdivision; 205.16, subdivision 4, by adding a 
  1.25            subdivision; 205.185, subdivisions 2, 3; 205A.02; 
  1.26            205A.03, subdivisions 1, 3, 4; 205A.06, subdivision 
  1.27            1a; 205A.07, subdivision 3, by adding a subdivision; 
  1.28            206.58, subdivision 1; 206.81; 206.90, subdivision 6; 
  1.29            211A.02, by adding a subdivision; 211B.045; 351.01, 
  1.30            subdivision 4; 365.51, subdivision 3; 367.12; 414.041, 
  1.31            subdivision 1; 447.32, subdivisions 3, 4; proposing 
  1.32            coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 204D.
  1.33  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.34     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 5.08, is 
  1.35  amended to read: 
  1.36     5.08 [LEGISLATIVE MANUAL.] 
  1.37     Subdivision 1.  [PREPARATION.] The secretary of state shall 
  1.38  prepare, compile, edit, and distribute for use at each regular 
  1.39  legislative session, a convenient manual, properly indexed, and 
  2.1   containing:  The federal and state constitutions; the acts of 
  2.2   Congress relating to the organization of the territory and 
  2.3   state; the rules of order and joint rules of the two houses, and 
  2.4   lists of their members, committees and employees; the names of 
  2.5   all state officials, whether elected or appointed, and of all 
  2.6   persons holding office from this state under the national 
  2.7   government, including postmasters appointed by the president; 
  2.8   the places where the said several officials reside, and the 
  2.9   annual compensation of each; and statistical and other 
  2.10  information of the kind heretofore published in the legislative 
  2.11  manuals. 
  2.12     Subd. 2.  [DISTRIBUTION.] 15,000 10,000 copies of the 
  2.13  legislative manual shall be printed and distributed as follows: 
  2.14     (1) up to 25 20 copies shall be available to each member of 
  2.15  the legislature on request; 
  2.16     (2) 50 copies to the state historical society; 
  2.17     (3) 25 copies to the state university; 
  2.18     (4) 60 copies to the state library; 
  2.19     (5) two copies each to the Library of Congress,; the 
  2.20  Minnesota veterans home, homes; the state universities,; the 
  2.21  state high schools, the public academies, seminaries, and 
  2.22  colleges of the state,; and the free public libraries of the 
  2.23  state; 
  2.24     (6) one copy each to other state institutions, the elective 
  2.25  state officials, the appointed heads of departments, the 
  2.26  officers and employees of the legislature, the justices of the 
  2.27  supreme court, the judges of the court of appeals and the 
  2.28  district court, the senators and representatives in Congress 
  2.29  from this state, and the county auditors, recorders, and county 
  2.30  attorneys; 
  2.31     (7) one copy to each public school, to be distributed 
  2.32  through the superintendent of each school district; and 
  2.33     (8) the remainder may be disposed of as the secretary of 
  2.34  state deems best. 
  2.35     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 10A.01, 
  2.36  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  3.1      Subd. 5.  [ASSOCIATED BUSINESS.] "Associated business" 
  3.2   means an association from which the individual receives 
  3.3   compensation in excess of $50 $500 in a year, except for actual 
  3.4   and reasonable expenses, in any month as a director, officer, 
  3.5   owner, member, partner, employer or employee, or whose 
  3.6   securities the individual holds worth $2,500 or more at fair 
  3.7   market value.  "Associated business" also means a lobbyist or 
  3.8   principal by whom the individual is compensated in excess of 
  3.9   $500 in a year, except for actual and reasonable expenses, for 
  3.10  providing services to the lobbyist or principal as an 
  3.11  independent contractor or consultant.  If an individual is 
  3.12  compensated by an association for providing services to a 
  3.13  lobbyist or principal as an independent contractor or 
  3.14  consultant, "associated business" includes both the association 
  3.15  that pays the compensation and the lobbyist or principal to whom 
  3.16  the services are provided. 
  3.17     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 10A.01, 
  3.18  subdivision 21, is amended to read: 
  3.19     Subd. 21.  [LOBBYIST.] (a) "Lobbyist" means an individual: 
  3.20     (1) engaged for pay or other consideration, or authorized 
  3.21  to spend money by another individual, association, political 
  3.22  subdivision, or public higher education system, who spends more 
  3.23  than five hours in any month or more than $250, not including 
  3.24  the individual's own travel expenses and membership dues, of 
  3.25  more than $5,000 in any year, for the purpose of attempting to 
  3.26  influence legislative or administrative action, or the official 
  3.27  action of a metropolitan governmental unit, by communicating or 
  3.28  urging others to communicate with public or local officials; or 
  3.29     (2) who spends more than $250, not including the 
  3.30  individual's own traveling expenses and membership dues, in any 
  3.31  year for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or 
  3.32  administrative action, or the official action of a metropolitan 
  3.33  governmental unit, by communicating or urging others to 
  3.34  communicate with public or local officials. 
  3.35     (b) "Lobbyist" does not include: 
  3.36     (1) a public official; 
  4.1      (2) an employee of the state, including an employee of any 
  4.2   of the public higher education systems; 
  4.3      (3) an elected local official; 
  4.4      (4) a nonelected local official or an employee of a 
  4.5   political subdivision or public higher education system acting 
  4.6   in an official capacity, unless the nonelected official or 
  4.7   employee of a political subdivision or public higher education 
  4.8   system spends more than 50 hours in any month attempting to 
  4.9   influence legislative or administrative action, or the official 
  4.10  action of a metropolitan governmental unit other than the 
  4.11  political subdivision or public higher education system 
  4.12  employing the official or employee, by communicating or urging 
  4.13  others to communicate with public or local officials, including 
  4.14  time spent monitoring legislative or administrative action, or 
  4.15  the official action of a metropolitan governmental unit, and 
  4.16  related research, analysis, and compilation and dissemination of 
  4.17  information relating to legislative or administrative policy in 
  4.18  this state, or to the policies of metropolitan governmental 
  4.19  units; 
  4.20     (5) a party or the party's representative appearing in a 
  4.21  proceeding before a state board, commission, or agency of the 
  4.22  executive branch unless the board, commission, or agency is 
  4.23  taking administrative action; 
  4.24     (6) an individual while engaged in selling goods or 
  4.25  services to be paid for by public funds; 
  4.26     (7) a news medium or its employees or agents while engaged 
  4.27  in the publishing or broadcasting of news items, editorial 
  4.28  comments, or paid advertisements which directly or indirectly 
  4.29  urge official action; 
  4.30     (8) a paid expert witness whose testimony is requested by 
  4.31  the body before which the witness is appearing, but only to the 
  4.32  extent of preparing or delivering testimony; or 
  4.33     (9) a party or the party's representative appearing to 
  4.34  present a claim to the legislature and communicating to 
  4.35  legislators only by the filing of a claim form and supporting 
  4.36  documents and by appearing at public hearings on the claim. 
  5.1      (c) An individual who volunteers personal time to work 
  5.2   without pay or other consideration on a lobbying campaign, and 
  5.3   who does not spend more than the limit in paragraph (a), clause 
  5.4   (2), need not register as a lobbyist. 
  5.5      (d) An individual who provides administrative support to a 
  5.6   lobbyist and whose salary and administrative expenses 
  5.7   attributable to lobbying activities are reported as lobbying 
  5.8   expenses by the lobbyist, but who does not communicate or urge 
  5.9   others to communicate with public or local officials, need not 
  5.10  register as a lobbyist. 
  5.11     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 10A.01, 
  5.12  subdivision 33, is amended to read: 
  5.13     Subd. 33.  [PRINCIPAL.] "Principal" means an individual or, 
  5.14  association, political subdivision, or public higher education 
  5.15  system that:  
  5.16     (1) spends more than $500 in the aggregate in any calendar 
  5.17  year to engage a lobbyist, compensate a lobbyist, or authorize 
  5.18  the expenditure of money by a lobbyist; or 
  5.19     (2) is not included in clause (1) and spends a total of at 
  5.20  least $50,000 in any calendar year on efforts to influence 
  5.21  legislative action, administrative action, or the official 
  5.22  action of metropolitan governmental units, as described in 
  5.23  section 10A.04, subdivision 6.  
  5.24     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 10A.04, 
  5.25  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  5.26     Subd. 4.  [CONTENT.] (a) A report under this section must 
  5.27  include information the board requires from the registration 
  5.28  form and the information required by this subdivision for the 
  5.29  reporting period. 
  5.30     (b) A lobbyist must report a general description of the 
  5.31  subject or subjects on which the lobbyist lobbied on behalf of 
  5.32  each principal.  
  5.33     (c) A lobbyist must report the unitemized total amount of 
  5.34  all income from the principal for lobbying activities on behalf 
  5.35  of the principal, rounded to the nearest $10,000.  The total 
  5.36  must include amounts paid to cover the lobbyist's salary and 
  6.1   administrative expenses.  The report must include any payments 
  6.2   to the lobbyist by any other person for lobbying activities on 
  6.3   behalf of the principal. 
  6.4      (d) A lobbyist must report the lobbyist's total 
  6.5   disbursements on lobbying, separately listing lobbying to 
  6.6   influence legislative action, lobbying to influence 
  6.7   administrative action, and lobbying to influence the official 
  6.8   actions of a metropolitan governmental unit, and a breakdown of 
  6.9   disbursements for each of those kinds of lobbying into 
  6.10  categories specified by the board, including but not limited to 
  6.11  the cost of publication and distribution of each publication 
  6.12  used in lobbying; other printing; media, including the cost of 
  6.13  production; postage; travel; fees, including allowances; 
  6.14  entertainment; telephone and telegraph; and other expenses. 
  6.15     (c) (e) A lobbyist must report the amount and nature of 
  6.16  each gift, item, or benefit, excluding contributions to a 
  6.17  candidate, equal in value to $5 or more, and each contribution 
  6.18  to a candidate equal in value to $50 or more, given or paid to 
  6.19  any official, as defined in section 10A.071, subdivision 1, by 
  6.20  the lobbyist or an employer or employee at the direction of the 
  6.21  lobbyist.  The list must include the name and address of each 
  6.22  official to whom the gift, item, or benefit, or contribution was 
  6.23  given or paid and the date it was given or paid.  
  6.24     (d) (f) A lobbyist must report each original source of 
  6.25  money in excess of $500 in any year used for the purpose of 
  6.26  lobbying to influence legislative action, administrative action, 
  6.27  or the official action of a metropolitan governmental unit.  The 
  6.28  list must include the name, address, and employer, or, if 
  6.29  self-employed, the occupation and principal place of business, 
  6.30  of each payer of money in excess of $500. 
  6.31     (e) On the report due April 15, the lobbyist must provide a 
  6.32  general description of the subjects lobbied in the previous 12 
  6.33  months (g) A lobbyist must report the amount and date of each 
  6.34  contribution given by the lobbyist to a party organization 
  6.35  within a house of the legislature. 
  6.36     Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 10A.04, 
  7.1   subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  7.2      Subd. 6.  [PRINCIPAL REPORTS.] (a) A principal must report 
  7.3   to the board as required in this subdivision by March 15 for the 
  7.4   preceding calendar year. 
  7.5      (b) The principal must report the total amount, rounded to 
  7.6   the nearest $20,000, spent by the principal during the preceding 
  7.7   calendar year to influence legislative action, the total amount 
  7.8   spent by the principal during the preceding calendar year to 
  7.9   influence administrative action, and the total amount spent by 
  7.10  the principal during the preceding calendar year to influence 
  7.11  the official action of metropolitan governmental units. 
  7.12     (c) The principal must report under this subdivision a 
  7.13  total amount that includes: 
  7.14     (1) all direct payments by the principal to lobbyists in 
  7.15  this state; 
  7.16     (2) all expenditures for advertising, mailing, research, 
  7.17  analysis, compilation and dissemination of information, and 
  7.18  public relations campaigns related to legislative action, 
  7.19  administrative action, or the official action of metropolitan 
  7.20  governmental units in this state; and 
  7.21     (3) all salaries and administrative expenses attributable 
  7.22  to activities of the principal or a lobbyist engaged by the 
  7.23  principal relating to efforts on behalf of the principal to 
  7.24  influence legislative action, administrative action, or the 
  7.25  official action of metropolitan governmental units in this state.
  7.26     Sec. 7.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 15.0597, 
  7.27  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  7.28     Subd. 2.  [COLLECTION OF DATA.] The chair of an existing 
  7.29  agency or the chair's designee, or the appointing authority for 
  7.30  the members of a newly created agency, shall provide the 
  7.31  secretary, on forms in an electronic format prepared and 
  7.32  distributed by the secretary, with the following data pertaining 
  7.33  to that agency: 
  7.34     (1) the name of the agency, its mailing address, and 
  7.35  telephone number; 
  7.36     (2) the legal authority for the creation of the agency and 
  8.1   the name of the person appointing agency members; 
  8.2      (3) the powers and duties of the agency; 
  8.3      (4) the number of authorized members, together with any 
  8.4   prescribed restrictions on eligibility such as employment 
  8.5   experience or geographical representation; 
  8.6      (5) the dates of commencement and expiration of the 
  8.7   membership terms and the expiration date of the agency, if any; 
  8.8      (6) the compensation of members, and appropriations or 
  8.9   other funds available to the agency; 
  8.10     (7) the regular meeting schedule, if any, and approximate 
  8.11  number of hours per month of meetings or other activities 
  8.12  required of members; 
  8.13     (8) the roster of current members, including mailing 
  8.14  addresses, electronic mail addresses, and telephone numbers; and 
  8.15     (9) a breakdown of the membership showing distribution by 
  8.16  county, legislative district, and congressional district, and, 
  8.17  only if the member has voluntarily supplied the information, the 
  8.18  sex, political party preference or lack of party preference, 
  8.19  race, and national origin of the members. 
  8.20     The secretary may provide for require the submission of 
  8.21  data in accordance with this subdivision by electronic means.  
  8.22  The publication requirement under clause (8) may be met by 
  8.23  publishing a member's home or business address and telephone 
  8.24  number, the address and telephone number of the agency to which 
  8.25  the member is appointed, the member's electronic mail address, 
  8.26  if provided, or any other information that would enable the 
  8.27  public to communicate with the member. 
  8.28     Sec. 8.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 15.0597, 
  8.29  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  8.30     Subd. 3.  [PUBLICATION OF AGENCY DATA.] The secretary of 
  8.31  state shall provide for annual updating of the required data and 
  8.32  shall annually arrange for the publication in the state register 
  8.33  on the Web site of the secretary of state of the compiled data 
  8.34  from all agencies on or about October 15 of each year.  Copies 
  8.35  of The compilation must be electronically delivered to the 
  8.36  governor and the legislature.  Paper copies of the compilation 
  9.1   must be made available by the secretary to any interested person 
  9.2   at cost, and copies must be available for viewing by interested 
  9.3   persons.  The chair of an agency who does not submit data 
  9.4   required by this section or who does not notify the secretary of 
  9.5   a vacancy in the agency, is not eligible for a per diem or 
  9.6   expenses in connection with agency service until December 1 of 
  9.7   the following year. 
  9.8      Sec. 9.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 15.0597, 
  9.9   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  9.10     Subd. 4.  [NOTICE OF VACANCIES.] The chair of an existing 
  9.11  agency, shall notify the secretary by electronic means of a 
  9.12  vacancy scheduled to occur in the agency as a result of the 
  9.13  expiration of membership terms at least 45 days before the 
  9.14  vacancy occurs.  The chair of an existing agency shall 
  9.15  give written electronic notification to the secretary of each 
  9.16  vacancy occurring as a result of newly created agency positions 
  9.17  and of every other vacancy occurring for any reason other than 
  9.18  the expiration of membership terms as soon as possible upon 
  9.19  learning of the vacancy and in any case within 15 days after the 
  9.20  occurrence of the vacancy.  The appointing authority for newly 
  9.21  created agencies shall give written electronic notification to 
  9.22  the secretary of all vacancies in the new agency within 15 days 
  9.23  after the creation of the agency.  The secretary may provide for 
  9.24  require the submission of notices required by this subdivision 
  9.25  by electronic means.  The secretary shall publish monthly in the 
  9.26  State Register on the Web site of the secretary of state a list 
  9.27  of all vacancies of which the secretary has been so notified.  
  9.28  Only one notice of a vacancy shall be so published, unless the 
  9.29  appointing authority rejects all applicants and requests the 
  9.30  secretary to republish the notice of vacancy.  One copy of the 
  9.31  listing shall be made available at the office of the secretary 
  9.32  to any interested person.  The secretary shall distribute 
  9.33  by mail electronic means copies of the listings to requesting 
  9.34  persons.  The listing for all vacancies scheduled to occur in 
  9.35  the month of January shall be published in the State Register on 
  9.36  the Web site of the secretary of state together with the 
 10.1   compilation of agency data required to be published pursuant to 
 10.2   subdivision 3. 
 10.3      If a vacancy occurs within three months after an 
 10.4   appointment is made to fill a regularly scheduled vacancy, the 
 10.5   appointing authority may, upon notification by electronic means 
 10.6   to the secretary, fill the vacancy by appointment from the list 
 10.7   of persons submitting applications to fill the regularly 
 10.8   scheduled vacancy. 
 10.9      Sec. 10.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 15.0597, 
 10.10  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
 10.11     Subd. 5.  [NOMINATIONS FOR VACANCIES.] Any person may make 
 10.12  a self-nomination for appointment to an agency vacancy by 
 10.13  completing an application on a form in an electronic format 
 10.14  prepared and distributed by the secretary.  The secretary 
 10.15  may provide for require the submission of the application by 
 10.16  electronic means.  Any person or group of persons may, on the 
 10.17  prescribed application form, nominate another person to be 
 10.18  appointed to a vacancy so long as the person so nominated 
 10.19  consents in writing on the application form to the nomination.  
 10.20  The application form shall specify the nominee's name, mailing 
 10.21  address, electronic mail address, telephone number, preferred 
 10.22  agency position sought, a statement that the nominee satisfies 
 10.23  any legally prescribed qualifications, and any other information 
 10.24  the nominating person feels would be helpful to the appointing 
 10.25  authority.  The nominating person has the option of indicating 
 10.26  the nominee's sex, political party preference or lack thereof, 
 10.27  status with regard to disability, race, and national origin on 
 10.28  the application form.  The application form shall make the 
 10.29  option known.  If a person submits an application at the 
 10.30  suggestion of an appointing authority, the person shall so 
 10.31  indicate on the application form.  Twenty-one days after 
 10.32  publication of a vacancy in the State Register on the Web site 
 10.33  of the secretary of state pursuant to subdivision 4, the 
 10.34  secretary shall submit electronic copies of all applications 
 10.35  received for a position to the appointing authority charged with 
 10.36  filling the vacancy.  If no applications have been received by 
 11.1   the secretary for the vacant position by the date 
 11.2   when electronic copies must be submitted to the appointing 
 11.3   authority, the secretary shall so inform the appointing 
 11.4   authority.  Applications received by the secretary shall be 
 11.5   deemed to have expired one year after receipt of the 
 11.6   application.  An application for a particular agency position 
 11.7   shall be deemed to be an application for all vacancies in that 
 11.8   agency occurring prior to the expiration of the application and 
 11.9   shall be public information. 
 11.10     Sec. 11.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 15.0597, 
 11.11  subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
 11.12     Subd. 6.  [APPOINTMENTS.] In making an appointment to a 
 11.13  vacant agency position, the appointing authority shall consider 
 11.14  applications for positions in that agency supplied by the 
 11.15  secretary.  No appointing authority may appoint someone to a 
 11.16  vacant agency position until (1) ten days after receipt of the 
 11.17  applications for positions in that agency from the secretary or 
 11.18  (2) receipt of notice from the secretary that no applications 
 11.19  have been received for vacant positions in that agency.  At 
 11.20  least five days before the date of appointment, the appointing 
 11.21  authority shall issue a public announcement and inform the 
 11.22  secretary in writing by electronic means of the name of the 
 11.23  person the appointing authority intends to appoint to fill the 
 11.24  agency vacancy and the expiration date of that person's term.  
 11.25  If the appointing authority intends to appoint a person other 
 11.26  than one for whom an application was submitted pursuant to this 
 11.27  section, the appointing authority shall complete an application 
 11.28  form on behalf of the appointee and submit it to the secretary 
 11.29  indicating on the application that it is submitted by the 
 11.30  appointing authority.  
 11.31     Sec. 12.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 15.0597, 
 11.32  subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
 11.33     Subd. 7.  [REPORT.] Together with the compilation required 
 11.34  in subdivision 3, the secretary shall annually deliver to the 
 11.35  governor and the legislature a report in electronic format 
 11.36  containing the following information: 
 12.1      (1) the number of vacancies occurring in the preceding 
 12.2   year; 
 12.3      (2) the number of vacancies occurring as a result of 
 12.4   scheduled ends of terms, unscheduled vacancies and the creation 
 12.5   of new positions; 
 12.6      (3) breakdowns by county, legislative district, and 
 12.7   congressional district, and, if known, the sex, political party 
 12.8   preference or lack thereof, status with regard to disability, 
 12.9   race, and national origin, for members whose agency membership 
 12.10  terminated during the year and appointees to the vacant 
 12.11  positions; and 
 12.12     (4) the number of vacancies filled from applications 
 12.13  submitted by (i) the appointing authorities for the positions 
 12.14  filled, (ii) nominating persons and self-nominees who submitted 
 12.15  applications at the suggestion of appointing authorities, and 
 12.16  (iii) all others. 
 12.17     Sec. 13.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 15.0599, 
 12.18  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
 12.19     Subd. 4.  [REGISTRATION; INFORMATION REQUIRED.] (a) The 
 12.20  appointing authority of a newly established agency or the 
 12.21  authority's designee shall provide the secretary with the 
 12.22  following information: 
 12.23     (1) the name, mailing address, electronic mail address, and 
 12.24  telephone number of the agency; 
 12.25     (2) the legal authority for the establishment of the agency 
 12.26  and the name and the title of the person or persons appointing 
 12.27  agency members; 
 12.28     (3) the powers and duties of the agency and whether the 
 12.29  agency, however designated, is best described by section 15.012, 
 12.30  paragraph (a), (b), (c), (e), or (f); 
 12.31     (4) the number of authorized members, together with any 
 12.32  prescribed restrictions on eligibility; 
 12.33     (5) the roster of current members, including mailing 
 12.34  addresses, electronic mail addresses, and telephone numbers; 
 12.35     (6) a breakdown of the membership showing distribution by 
 12.36  county, legislative district, and congressional district and 
 13.1   compliance with any restrictions listed in accordance with 
 13.2   clause (4); 
 13.3      (7) if any members have voluntarily provided the 
 13.4   information, the sex, age, political preference or lack of 
 13.5   preference, status with regard to disability, race, and national 
 13.6   origin of those members; 
 13.7      (8) the dates of commencement and expiration of membership 
 13.8   terms and the expiration date of the agency, if any; 
 13.9      (9) the compensation of members and appropriations or other 
 13.10  money available to the agency; 
 13.11     (10) the name of the state agency or other entity, if any, 
 13.12  required to provide staff or administrative support to the 
 13.13  agency; 
 13.14     (11) the regular meeting schedule, if any, and the 
 13.15  approximate number of hours a month of meetings or other 
 13.16  activities required of members; and 
 13.17     (12) a brief statement of the goal or purpose of the 
 13.18  agency, along with a summary of what an existing agency has 
 13.19  done, or what a newly established agency plans to do to achieve 
 13.20  its goal or purpose. 
 13.21     The publication requirement under clause (5) may be met by 
 13.22  publishing a member's home or business address and telephone 
 13.23  number, the address and telephone number of the agency to which 
 13.24  the member is appointed, the member's electronic mail address, 
 13.25  or any other information that would enable the public to 
 13.26  communicate with the member. 
 13.27     (b) The chair of an existing agency or the chair's designee 
 13.28  shall provide information, covering the fiscal year in which it 
 13.29  is registering, on the number of meetings it has held, its 
 13.30  expenses, and the number of staff hours, if any, devoted to its 
 13.31  support.  The chair or designee shall also, if necessary, update 
 13.32  any of the information previously provided in accordance with 
 13.33  paragraph (a). 
 13.34     (c) The secretary shall provide electronic forms for the 
 13.35  reporting of information required by this subdivision and 
 13.36  may provide for require reporting by electronic means. 
 14.1      Sec. 14.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 126C.17, 
 14.2   subdivision 9, is amended to read: 
 14.3      Subd. 9.  [REFERENDUM REVENUE.] (a) The revenue authorized 
 14.4   by section 126C.10, subdivision 1, may be increased in the 
 14.5   amount approved by the voters of the district at a referendum 
 14.6   called for the purpose.  The referendum may be called by the 
 14.7   board or shall be called by the board upon written petition of 
 14.8   qualified voters of the district.  The referendum must be 
 14.9   conducted one or two calendar years before the increased levy 
 14.10  authority, if approved, first becomes payable.  Only one 
 14.11  election to approve an increase may be held in a calendar year.  
 14.12  Unless the referendum is conducted by mail under paragraph (g), 
 14.13  the referendum must be held on the first Tuesday after the first 
 14.14  Monday in November.  The ballot must state the maximum amount of 
 14.15  the increased revenue per resident marginal cost pupil unit, the 
 14.16  estimated referendum tax rate as a percentage of referendum 
 14.17  market value in the first year it is to be levied, and that the 
 14.18  revenue must be used to finance school operations.  The ballot 
 14.19  may state a schedule, determined by the board, of increased 
 14.20  revenue per resident marginal cost pupil unit that differs from 
 14.21  year to year over the number of years for which the increased 
 14.22  revenue is authorized.  If the ballot contains a schedule 
 14.23  showing different amounts, it must also indicate the estimated 
 14.24  referendum tax rate as a percent of referendum market value for 
 14.25  the amount specified for the first year and for the maximum 
 14.26  amount specified in the schedule.  The ballot may state that 
 14.27  existing referendum levy authority is expiring.  In this case, 
 14.28  the ballot may also compare the proposed levy authority to the 
 14.29  existing expiring levy authority, and express the proposed 
 14.30  increase as the amount, if any, over the expiring referendum 
 14.31  levy authority.  The ballot must designate the specific number 
 14.32  of years, not to exceed ten, for which the referendum 
 14.33  authorization applies.  The notice required under section 275.60 
 14.34  may be modified to read, in cases of renewing existing levies: 
 14.35     "BY VOTING "YES" ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION, YOU MAY BE VOTING 
 14.36     FOR A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE." 
 15.1      The ballot may contain a textual portion with the 
 15.2   information required in this subdivision and a question stating 
 15.3   substantially the following:  
 15.4      "Shall the increase in the revenue proposed by (petition 
 15.5   to) the board of ........., School District No. .., be approved?"
 15.6      If approved, an amount equal to the approved revenue per 
 15.7   resident marginal cost pupil unit times the resident marginal 
 15.8   cost pupil units for the school year beginning in the year after 
 15.9   the levy is certified shall be authorized for certification for 
 15.10  the number of years approved, if applicable, or until revoked or 
 15.11  reduced by the voters of the district at a subsequent referendum.
 15.12     (b) The board must prepare and deliver by first class mail 
 15.13  at least 15 days but no more than 30 days before the day of the 
 15.14  referendum to each taxpayer a notice of the referendum and the 
 15.15  proposed revenue increase.  The board need not mail more than 
 15.16  one notice to any taxpayer.  For the purpose of giving mailed 
 15.17  notice under this subdivision, owners must be those shown to be 
 15.18  owners on the records of the county auditor or, in any county 
 15.19  where tax statements are mailed by the county treasurer, on the 
 15.20  records of the county treasurer.  Every property owner whose 
 15.21  name does not appear on the records of the county auditor or the 
 15.22  county treasurer is deemed to have waived this mailed notice 
 15.23  unless the owner has requested in writing that the county 
 15.24  auditor or county treasurer, as the case may be, include the 
 15.25  name on the records for this purpose.  The notice must project 
 15.26  the anticipated amount of tax increase in annual dollars and 
 15.27  annual percentage for typical residential homesteads, 
 15.28  agricultural homesteads, apartments, and commercial-industrial 
 15.29  property within the school district.  The notice is not an 
 15.30  official ballot. 
 15.31     The notice for a referendum may state that an existing 
 15.32  referendum levy is expiring and project the anticipated amount 
 15.33  of increase over the existing referendum levy in the first year, 
 15.34  if any, in annual dollars and annual percentage for typical 
 15.35  residential homesteads, agricultural homesteads, apartments, and 
 15.36  commercial-industrial property within the district. 
 16.1      The notice must include the following statement:  "Passage 
 16.2   of this referendum will result in an increase in your property 
 16.3   taxes."  However, in cases of renewing existing levies, the 
 16.4   notice may include the following statement:  "Passage of this 
 16.5   referendum may result in an increase in your property taxes." 
 16.6      (c) A referendum on the question of revoking or reducing 
 16.7   the increased revenue amount authorized pursuant to paragraph 
 16.8   (a) may be called by the board and shall be called by the board 
 16.9   upon the written petition of qualified voters of the district.  
 16.10  A referendum to revoke or reduce the levy amount must be based 
 16.11  upon the dollar amount, local tax rate, or amount per resident 
 16.12  marginal cost pupil unit, that was stated to be the basis for 
 16.13  the initial authorization.  Revenue approved by the voters of 
 16.14  the district pursuant to paragraph (a) must be received at least 
 16.15  once before it is subject to a referendum on its revocation or 
 16.16  reduction for subsequent years.  Only one revocation or 
 16.17  reduction referendum may be held to revoke or reduce referendum 
 16.18  revenue for any specific year and for years thereafter. 
 16.19     (d) A petition authorized by paragraph (a) or (c) is 
 16.20  effective if signed by a number of qualified voters in excess of 
 16.21  15 percent of the registered voters of the district on the day 
 16.22  the petition is filed with the board.  A referendum invoked by 
 16.23  petition must be held on the date specified in paragraph (a). 
 16.24     (e) The approval of 50 percent plus one of those voting on 
 16.25  the question is required to pass a referendum authorized by this 
 16.26  subdivision. 
 16.27     (f) At least 15 days before the day of the referendum, the 
 16.28  district must submit a copy of the notice required under 
 16.29  paragraph (b) to the commissioner and to the county auditor of 
 16.30  each county in which the district is located.  Within 15 days 
 16.31  after the results of the referendum have been certified by the 
 16.32  board, or in the case of a recount, the certification of the 
 16.33  results of the recount by the canvassing board, the district 
 16.34  must notify the commissioner of the results of the referendum. 
 16.35     Sec. 15.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 201.061, 
 16.36  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 17.1      Subd. 3.  [ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION.] An individual who is 
 17.2   eligible to vote may register on election day by appearing in 
 17.3   person at the polling place for the precinct in which the 
 17.4   individual maintains residence, by completing a registration 
 17.5   card, making an oath in the form prescribed by the secretary of 
 17.6   state and providing proof of residence.  An individual may prove 
 17.7   residence for purposes of registering by: 
 17.8      (1) showing a driver's license or Minnesota identification 
 17.9   card issued pursuant to section 171.07; 
 17.10     (2) showing any document approved by the secretary of state 
 17.11  as proper identification; 
 17.12     (3) showing a current student identification card that 
 17.13  contains the student's valid address in the precinct, a current 
 17.14  student fee statement that contains the student's valid address 
 17.15  in the precinct, or a copy of a current student registration 
 17.16  card that contains the student's valid address in the precinct; 
 17.17     (4) showing one of the following: 
 17.18     (i) a current valid student identification card from a 
 17.19  post-secondary educational institution in Minnesota, if a list 
 17.20  of students from that institution has been prepared under 
 17.21  section 135A.17 and certified to the county auditor in the 
 17.22  manner provided in rules of the secretary of state; or 
 17.23     (ii) a current student fee statement that contains the 
 17.24  student's valid address in the precinct together with a picture 
 17.25  identification card; 
 17.26     (4) (5) having a voter who is registered to vote in the 
 17.27  precinct sign an oath in the presence of the election judge 
 17.28  vouching that the voter personally knows that the individual is 
 17.29  a resident of the precinct.  A voter who has been vouched for on 
 17.30  election day may not sign a proof of residence oath vouching for 
 17.31  any other individual on that election day; or 
 17.32     (5) (6) for tribal band members living on an Indian 
 17.33  reservation, an individual may prove residence for purposes of 
 17.34  registering by showing an identification card issued by the 
 17.35  tribal government of a tribe recognized by the Bureau of Indian 
 17.36  Affairs, United States Department of the Interior, that contains 
 18.1   the name, street address, signature, and picture of the 
 18.2   individual.  The county auditor of each county having territory 
 18.3   within the reservation shall maintain a record of the number of 
 18.4   election day registrations accepted under this section. 
 18.5      A county, school district, or municipality may require that 
 18.6   an election judge responsible for election day registration 
 18.7   initial each completed registration card.  
 18.8      Sec. 16.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 201.071, 
 18.9   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 18.10     Subd. 3.  [DEFICIENT REGISTRATION.] No registration is 
 18.11  deficient if it contains the voter's name, address, date of 
 18.12  birth, prior registration if any and signature.  The absence of 
 18.13  a zip code number does not cause the registration to be 
 18.14  deficient.  The election judges shall request an individual to 
 18.15  correct a registration card if it is deficient or illegible or 
 18.16  if the name or number of the voter's school district is missing 
 18.17  or obviously incorrect.  No eligible voter may be prevented from 
 18.18  voting unless the voter's registration card is deficient or the 
 18.19  voter is duly and successfully challenged in accordance with 
 18.20  section 201.195 or 204C.12. 
 18.21     A registration card accepted prior to August 1, 1983, is 
 18.22  not deficient for lack of date of birth.  The county or 
 18.23  municipality may attempt to obtain the date of birth for a 
 18.24  registration card accepted prior to August 1, 1983, by a request 
 18.25  to the voter at any time except at the polling place.  Failure 
 18.26  by the voter to comply with this request does not make the 
 18.27  registration deficient.  
 18.28     The secretary of state shall prescribe the form for a 
 18.29  county or municipality to request the date of birth from 
 18.30  currently registered voters.  The county or municipality must 
 18.31  not request the date of birth from currently registered voters 
 18.32  by any communication other than the prescribed form and the form 
 18.33  must clearly indicate that a currently registered voter does not 
 18.34  lose registration status by failing to provide the date of birth.
 18.35     A registration card is not deficient for lack of a 
 18.36  telephone number. 
 19.1      Sec. 17.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 201.161, is 
 19.2   amended to read: 
 19.3      201.161 [DRIVER'S LICENSE AND IDENTIFICATION CARD 
 19.4   APPLICATIONS.] 
 19.5      The department of public safety shall change its 
 19.6   applications for an original, duplicate, or change of address 
 19.7   driver's license or identification card so that the forms may 
 19.8   also serve as voter registration cards.  The forms must contain 
 19.9   spaces for the all information required in section 201.071, 
 19.10  subdivision 1, and applicable rules of collected by voter 
 19.11  registration cards prescribed by the secretary of state.  
 19.12  Applicants for driver's licenses or identification cards must be 
 19.13  asked if they want to register to vote at the same time.  A copy 
 19.14  of each application containing a completed voter registration 
 19.15  must be sent to the county auditor of the county in which the 
 19.16  voter maintains residence or to the secretary of state as soon 
 19.17  as possible.  The computerized driver's license record 
 19.18  information relating to name, address, date of birth, driver's 
 19.19  license number, county, town, and city must be made available 
 19.20  for access by the secretary of state and interaction with the 
 19.21  statewide voter registration system.  
 19.22     Sec. 18.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 201.1611, 
 19.23  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 19.24     Subdivision 1.  [FORMS.] All post-secondary institutions 
 19.25  that enroll students accepting state or federal financial aid 
 19.26  shall provide make available voter registration forms to each 
 19.27  student as early as possible in the fall quarter.  School 
 19.28  districts shall make available voter registration forms each May 
 19.29  and September to students registered as students of the school 
 19.30  district who will be eligible to vote at the next election.  A 
 19.31  school district has no obligation to make available voter 
 19.32  registration forms to students who participate in a 
 19.33  postsecondary education option program or who otherwise reside 
 19.34  in the district but do not attend a school operated by the 
 19.35  district.  A school district fulfills its obligation to a 
 19.36  student under this section if it makes available a voter 
 20.1   registration form to the student one time.  The forms must 
 20.2   contain spaces for the information required in section 201.071, 
 20.3   subdivision 1, and applicable rules of the secretary of state.  
 20.4   The institutions and school districts may request these forms 
 20.5   from the secretary of state.  Institutions shall consult with 
 20.6   their campus student government in determining the most 
 20.7   effective means of distributing the forms and in seeking to 
 20.8   facilitate election day registration of students under section 
 20.9   201.061, subdivision 3.  School districts must advise students 
 20.10  that completion of the voter registration forms is not a school 
 20.11  district requirement. 
 20.12     Sec. 19.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 201.171, is 
 20.13  amended to read: 
 20.14     201.171 [POSTING VOTING HISTORY; FAILURE TO VOTE; 
 20.15  REGISTRATION REMOVED.] 
 20.16     Within six eight weeks after the state general election and 
 20.17  six weeks after every other election, the county auditor shall 
 20.18  post the voting history for every person who voted in the 
 20.19  election.  If a second election is called before the normal 
 20.20  deadline for posting voting history from the first election, the 
 20.21  county auditor must post the voting history of every person who 
 20.22  voted in the first election and is registered to vote in the 
 20.23  second election at least 20 days before the second election.  
 20.24     After the close of the calendar year, the secretary of 
 20.25  state shall determine if any registrants have not voted during 
 20.26  the preceding four years and shall change the status of those 
 20.27  registrants to "inactive" in the statewide registration system.  
 20.28  The secretary of state shall also prepare a report to the county 
 20.29  auditor containing the names of all registrants whose status was 
 20.30  changed to "inactive."  Registrants whose status was changed to 
 20.31  "inactive" must register in the manner specified in section 
 20.32  201.054 before voting in any primary, special primary, general, 
 20.33  school district, or special election, as required by section 
 20.34  201.018.  
 20.35     Although not counted in an election, a late or rejected 
 20.36  absentee ballot must be considered a vote for the purpose of 
 21.1   continuing registration. 
 21.2      Sec. 20.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 201.221, 
 21.3   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 21.4      Subd. 3.  [PROCEDURES FOR POLLING PLACE ROSTERS.] The 
 21.5   secretary of state shall prescribe the form of polling place 
 21.6   rosters that include the voter's name, address, date of birth, 
 21.7   school district number, and space for the voter's signature.  
 21.8   The polling place roster must be used to indicate whether the 
 21.9   voter has voted in a given election.  The secretary of state 
 21.10  shall prescribe procedures for transporting the polling place 
 21.11  rosters to the election judges for use on election day.  The 
 21.12  secretary of state shall prescribe the form for a county or 
 21.13  municipality to request the date of birth from currently 
 21.14  registered voters.  The county or municipality shall not request 
 21.15  the date of birth from currently registered voters by any 
 21.16  communication other than the prescribed form and the form must 
 21.17  clearly indicate that a currently registered voter does not lose 
 21.18  registration status by failing to provide the date of birth.  In 
 21.19  accordance with section 204B.40, the county auditor shall retain 
 21.20  the prescribed polling place rosters used on the date of 
 21.21  election for one year 22 months following the election.  
 21.22     Sec. 21.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 202A.14, 
 21.23  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 21.24     Subd. 3.  [NOTICE.] The county or legislative district 
 21.25  chair shall give at least six days' published notice of the 
 21.26  holding of the precinct caucus, stating the place, date, and 
 21.27  time for holding the caucus, and shall deliver the same 
 21.28  information to the municipal clerk and county auditor at least 
 21.29  20 days before the precinct caucus.  The county auditor shall 
 21.30  make this information available at least ten days before the 
 21.31  date of the caucuses to persons who request it.  
 21.32     Sec. 22.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 203B.085, is 
 21.33  amended to read: 
 21.34     203B.085 [COUNTY AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND MUNICIPAL CLERK'S 
 21.35  OFFICES TO REMAIN OPEN DURING CERTAIN HOURS PRECEDING ELECTION.] 
 21.36     The county auditor's office in each county and the clerk's 
 22.1   office in each city or town authorized under section 203B.05 to 
 22.2   administer absentee balloting must be open for acceptance of 
 22.3   absentee ballot applications and casting of absentee ballots 
 22.4   from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and until 5:00 p.m. on 
 22.5   Monday the day immediately preceding a primary, special, or 
 22.6   general election unless that day falls on a Saturday or Sunday.  
 22.7   Town clerks' offices must be open for absentee voting from 10:00 
 22.8   a.m. to 12:00 noon on the Saturday before a town general 
 22.9   election held in March.  The school district clerk, when 
 22.10  performing the county auditor's election duties, need not comply 
 22.11  with this section. 
 22.12     Sec. 23.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 203B.125, is 
 22.13  amended to read: 
 22.14     203B.125 [SECRETARY OF STATE TO MAKE RULES.] 
 22.15     Subdivision 1.  [AUTHORIZED RULEMAKING.] The secretary of 
 22.16  state shall adopt rules establishing methods and procedures for 
 22.17  issuing ballot cards and related absentee forms to be used as 
 22.18  provided in section 203B.08, subdivision 1a, and for the 
 22.19  reconciliation of voters and ballot cards before tabulation 
 22.20  under section 203B.12.  
 22.21     Subd. 2.  [EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.] The secretary of state 
 22.22  may designate alternate methods for handling absentee ballots 
 22.23  during periods of declared national or state emergency.  This 
 22.24  authority is exempt from the requirements of chapter 14. 
 22.25     Sec. 24.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 203B.13, 
 22.26  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 22.27     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] The governing body of any 
 22.28  county that has established a counting center as provided in 
 22.29  section 206.85, subdivision 2, any municipality, or any school 
 22.30  district may by ordinance or resolution, authorize an absentee 
 22.31  ballot board.  The board shall consist of a sufficient number of 
 22.32  election judges appointed as provided in sections 204B.19 to 
 22.33  204B.22.  
 22.34     Sec. 25.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 203B.13, 
 22.35  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
 22.36     Subd. 2.  [DUTIES.] The absentee ballot board may do any of 
 23.1   the following:  
 23.2      (a) (1) receive from each precinct in the municipality or 
 23.3   school district all ballot envelopes marked "Accepted" by the 
 23.4   election judges; provided that the governing body of a 
 23.5   municipality or the school board of a school district may 
 23.6   authorize the board to examine all return absentee ballot 
 23.7   envelopes and receive or reject absentee ballots in the manner 
 23.8   provided in section 203B.12; 
 23.9      (2) if the governing body of a municipality or the school 
 23.10  board of a school district has authorized the board to examine 
 23.11  any return absentee ballot envelopes and accept or reject 
 23.12  absentee ballots in the manner provided in section 203B.12, the 
 23.13  board may receive from voters residing in each precinct in the 
 23.14  municipality or school district any absentee ballots and the 
 23.15  board must then forward the accepted absentee ballots to the 
 23.16  precinct for counting, tabulating, and reporting; 
 23.17     (b) (3) open and count the absentee ballots, tabulating the 
 23.18  vote in a manner that indicates each vote of the absentee voter 
 23.19  and the total absentee vote cast for each candidate or question 
 23.20  in each precinct; or 
 23.21     (c) (4) report the vote totals tabulated for each precinct. 
 23.22     The absentee ballot board may begin the process of 
 23.23  examining the return envelopes and marking them "accepted" or 
 23.24  "rejected" at any time during the 30 days before the election.  
 23.25  If an envelope has been rejected at least five days before the 
 23.26  election, the ballots in the envelope must be considered spoiled 
 23.27  ballots and the official in charge of the absentee ballot board 
 23.28  shall provide the voter with a replacement absentee ballot and 
 23.29  return envelope in place of the spoiled ballot.  The secretary 
 23.30  of state shall provide samples of the replacement ballot and 
 23.31  return envelope for use by the county auditor. 
 23.32     Sec. 26.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.06, 
 23.33  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 23.34     Subdivision 1.  [FORM OF AFFIDAVIT.] (a) An affidavit of 
 23.35  candidacy shall state the name of the office sought and shall 
 23.36  state that the candidate:  
 24.1      (1) is an eligible voter; 
 24.2      (2) has no other affidavit on file as a candidate for any 
 24.3   office at the same primary or next ensuing general election, 
 24.4   except that a candidate for soil and water conservation district 
 24.5   supervisor in a district not located in whole or in part in 
 24.6   Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, or Washington county, may also have on 
 24.7   file an affidavit of candidacy for mayor or council member of a 
 24.8   statutory or home rule charter city of not more than 2,500 
 24.9   population contained in whole or in part in the soil and water 
 24.10  conservation district or for town supervisor in a town of not 
 24.11  more than 2,500 population contained in whole or in part in the 
 24.12  soil and water conservation district; and 
 24.13     (3) is, or will be on assuming the office, 21 years of age 
 24.14  or more, and will have maintained residence in the district from 
 24.15  which the candidate seeks election for 30 days before the 
 24.16  general election. 
 24.17     An affidavit of candidacy must include a statement that the 
 24.18  candidate's name as written on the affidavit for ballot 
 24.19  designation is the candidate's true name or the name by which 
 24.20  the candidate is commonly and generally known in the community. 
 24.21     An affidavit of candidacy for partisan office shall also 
 24.22  state the name of the candidate's political party or political 
 24.23  principle, stated in three words or less.  
 24.24     (b) This subdivision does not apply to a candidate 
 24.25  Candidates for president or vice-president of the United 
 24.26  States are not required to file an affidavit of candidacy for 
 24.27  office and this subdivision does not apply to those candidates. 
 24.28     Sec. 27.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.07, 
 24.29  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
 24.30     Subd. 2.  [PETITIONS FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.] This 
 24.31  subdivision does not apply to candidates for presidential 
 24.32  elector nominated by major political parties.  Major party 
 24.33  candidates for presidential elector are certified under section 
 24.34  208.03.  Other presidential electors are nominated by petition 
 24.35  pursuant to this section.  On petitions nominating presidential 
 24.36  electors, the names of the candidates for president and 
 25.1   vice-president shall be added to the political party or 
 25.2   political principle stated on the petition.  One petition may be 
 25.3   filed to nominate a slate of presidential electors equal in 
 25.4   number to the number of electors to which the state is 
 25.5   entitled.  This subdivision does not apply to candidates for 
 25.6   presidential elector nominated by major political parties.  
 25.7   Major party candidates for presidential elector are certified 
 25.8   under section 208.03. 
 25.9      Sec. 28.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.09, 
 25.10  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 25.11     Subdivision 1.  [CANDIDATES IN STATE AND COUNTY GENERAL 
 25.12  ELECTIONS.] (a) Except as otherwise provided by this 
 25.13  subdivision, affidavits of candidacy and nominating petitions 
 25.14  for county, state, and federal offices filled at the state 
 25.15  general election shall be filed not more than 70 days nor less 
 25.16  than 56 days before the state primary.  The affidavit may be 
 25.17  prepared and signed at any time between 60 days before the 
 25.18  filing period opens and the last day of the filing period. 
 25.19     (b) Notwithstanding other law to the contrary, the 
 25.20  affidavit of candidacy must be signed in the presence of a 
 25.21  notarial officer or an individual authorized to administer oaths 
 25.22  under section 358.10. 
 25.23     (c) This provision does not apply to candidates for 
 25.24  presidential elector nominated by major political parties.  
 25.25  Major party candidates for presidential elector are certified 
 25.26  under section 208.03.  Other candidates for presidential 
 25.27  electors may file petitions on or before the state primary day 
 25.28  pursuant to section 204B.07.  Nominating petitions to fill 
 25.29  vacancies in nominations shall be filed as provided in section 
 25.30  204B.13.  No affidavit or petition shall be accepted later than 
 25.31  5:00 p.m. on the last day for filing. 
 25.32     (d) Affidavits and petitions for offices to be voted on in 
 25.33  only one county shall be filed with the county auditor of that 
 25.34  county.  Affidavits and petitions for offices to be voted on in 
 25.35  more than one county shall be filed with the secretary of state. 
 25.36     Sec. 29.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.09, 
 26.1   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 26.2      Subd. 3.  [WRITE-IN CANDIDATES.] (a) A candidate for state 
 26.3   or federal office who wants write-in votes for the candidate to 
 26.4   be counted must file a written request with the filing office 
 26.5   for the office sought no later than the fifth day before the 
 26.6   general election.  The filing officer shall provide copies of 
 26.7   the form to make the request.  
 26.8      (b) A candidate for president of the United States who 
 26.9   files a request under this subdivision must include the name of 
 26.10  a candidate for vice-president of the United States.  The 
 26.11  request must also include the name of at least one candidate for 
 26.12  presidential elector.  The total number of names of candidates 
 26.13  for presidential elector on the request may not exceed the total 
 26.14  number of electoral votes to be cast by Minnesota in the 
 26.15  presidential election. 
 26.16     (c) A candidate for governor who files a request under this 
 26.17  subdivision must include the name of a candidate for lieutenant 
 26.18  governor. 
 26.19     Sec. 30.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.14, 
 26.20  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
 26.21     Subd. 2.  [SEPARATE PRECINCTS; COMBINED POLLING PLACE.] (a) 
 26.22  The following shall constitute at least one election precinct:  
 26.23     (1) each city ward; and 
 26.24     (2) each town and each statutory city.  
 26.25     (b) A single, accessible, combined polling place may be 
 26.26  established no later than June 1 of any year: 
 26.27     (1) for any city of the third or fourth class, any town, or 
 26.28  any city having territory in more than one county, in which all 
 26.29  the voters of the city or town shall cast their ballots; 
 26.30     (2) for two contiguous precincts in the same municipality 
 26.31  that if either of them has fewer than 100 registered voters or 
 26.32  if they have a combined total of fewer than 500 registered 
 26.33  voters; or 
 26.34     (3) for up to four contiguous municipalities located 
 26.35  entirely outside the metropolitan area, as defined by section 
 26.36  473.121, subdivision 2, that are contained in the same county. 
 27.1      A copy of the ordinance or resolution establishing a 
 27.2   combined polling place must be filed with the county auditor 
 27.3   within 30 days after approval by the governing body.  A polling 
 27.4   place combined under clause (3) must be approved by the 
 27.5   governing body of each participating municipality.  A 
 27.6   municipality withdrawing from participation in a combined 
 27.7   polling place must do so by filing a resolution of withdrawal 
 27.8   with the county auditor no later than May 1 of any year. 
 27.9      The secretary of state shall provide a separate polling 
 27.10  place roster for each precinct served by the combined polling 
 27.11  place.  A single set of election judges may be appointed to 
 27.12  serve at a combined polling place.  The number of election 
 27.13  judges required must be based on the total number of persons 
 27.14  voting at the last similar election in all precincts to be 
 27.15  voting at the combined polling place.  Separate ballot boxes 
 27.16  must be provided for the ballots from each precinct.  The 
 27.17  results of the election must be reported separately for each 
 27.18  precinct served by the combined polling place, except in a 
 27.19  polling place established under clause (2) where one of the 
 27.20  precincts has fewer than ten registered voters, in which case 
 27.21  the results of that precinct must be reported in the manner 
 27.22  specified by the secretary of state.  
 27.23     Sec. 31.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.16, 
 27.24  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 27.25     Subdivision 1.  [AUTHORITY; LOCATION.] The governing body 
 27.26  of each municipality and of each county with precincts in 
 27.27  unorganized territory shall designate by ordinance or resolution 
 27.28  a polling place for each election precinct.  Polling places must 
 27.29  be designated and ballots must be distributed so that no one is 
 27.30  required to go to more than one polling place to vote in a 
 27.31  school district and municipal election held on the same day.  
 27.32  The polling place for a precinct in a city or in a school 
 27.33  district located in whole or in part in the metropolitan area 
 27.34  defined by section 473.121 shall be located within the 
 27.35  boundaries of the precinct or within 3,000 feet of one of those 
 27.36  boundaries unless a single accessible polling place is 
 28.1   designated for a city pursuant to section 204B.14, subdivision 
 28.2   2, or a school district pursuant to section 205A.11.  The 
 28.3   polling place for a precinct in unorganized territory may be 
 28.4   located outside the precinct at a place which is convenient to 
 28.5   the voters of the precinct.  If no suitable place is available 
 28.6   within a town or within a school district located outside the 
 28.7   metropolitan area defined by section 473.121, then the polling 
 28.8   place for a town or school district may be located outside the 
 28.9   town or school district within five miles of one of the 
 28.10  boundaries of the town or school district. 
 28.11     Sec. 32.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.16, 
 28.12  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 28.13     Subd. 3.  [DESIGNATION EFFECTIVE UNTIL CHANGED.] The 
 28.14  designation of a polling place pursuant to this section shall 
 28.15  remain effective until a different polling place is designated 
 28.16  for that precinct.  No designation of a new or different polling 
 28.17  place shall become effective less than 90 days prior to an 
 28.18  election, including school district elections or referenda, and 
 28.19  no polling place changes may occur during the period between the 
 28.20  state primary and the state general election, except that a new 
 28.21  polling place may be designated to replace a polling place that 
 28.22  has become unavailable for use.  
 28.23     Sec. 33.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.18, 
 28.24  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 28.25     Subdivision 1.  [BOOTHS.] Each polling place must contain a 
 28.26  number of voting booths in proportion to the number of 
 28.27  individuals eligible to vote in the precinct.  Each booth must 
 28.28  be at least six feet high, three feet deep and two feet wide 
 28.29  with a shelf at least two feet long and one foot wide placed at 
 28.30  a convenient height for writing.  The booth shall be provided 
 28.31  with a door or curtains.  Each accessible polling place must 
 28.32  have at least one accessible voting booth or other accessible 
 28.33  voting station.  All booths or stations must be constructed so 
 28.34  that a voter is free from observation while marking ballots.  In 
 28.35  all other polling places every effort must be made to provide at 
 28.36  least one accessible voting booth or other accessible voting 
 29.1   station.  During the hours of voting, the booths or stations 
 29.2   must have instructions, a pencil, and other supplies needed to 
 29.3   mark the ballots.  If needed, a chair must be provided for 
 29.4   elderly and handicapped voters to use while voting.  All ballot 
 29.5   boxes, voting booths, voting stations, and election judges must 
 29.6   be in open public view in the polling place. 
 29.7      Sec. 34.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.19, 
 29.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 29.9      Subdivision 1.  [INDIVIDUALS QUALIFIED TO BE ELECTION 
 29.10  JUDGES.] Except as provided in subdivision 6, any individual who 
 29.11  is eligible to vote in an election precinct this state is 
 29.12  qualified to be appointed as an election judge for that precinct 
 29.13  subject to this section.  If the files of the appointing 
 29.14  authority do not contain sufficient voters within a precinct who 
 29.15  are qualified and willing to serve as election judges, election 
 29.16  judges may be appointed who reside in another precinct in the 
 29.17  same municipality, or for school district elections, in the same 
 29.18  school district, whether or not the precinct where they reside 
 29.19  is in the same county as the precinct where they will serve.  If 
 29.20  there are not sufficient voters within the municipality or 
 29.21  school district who are qualified and willing to serve as 
 29.22  election judges, election judges may be appointed who reside in 
 29.23  the county where the precinct is located. 
 29.24     Sec. 35.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.19, 
 29.25  subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
 29.26     Subd. 6.  [HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.] Notwithstanding any other 
 29.27  requirements of this section, a student enrolled in a high 
 29.28  school in Minnesota or who is in a home-school in compliance 
 29.29  with sections 120A.22 and 120A.24, who has attained the age of 
 29.30  16 is eligible to be appointed as a without party affiliation 
 29.31  trainee election judge in the county in which the student 
 29.32  resides.  The student must meet qualifications for trainee 
 29.33  election judges specified in rules of the secretary of state.  A 
 29.34  student appointed as a trainee election judge may be excused 
 29.35  from school attendance during the hours that the student is 
 29.36  serving as a trainee election judge if the student submits a 
 30.1   written request signed and approved by the student's parent or 
 30.2   guardian to be absent from school and a certificate from the 
 30.3   appointing authority stating the hours during which the student 
 30.4   will serve as a trainee election judge to the principal of the 
 30.5   school at least ten days prior to the election.  Students shall 
 30.6   not serve as trainee election judges after 10:00 p.m.  
 30.7   Notwithstanding section 177.24 to the contrary, trainee election 
 30.8   judges may be paid not less than two-thirds of the minimum wage 
 30.9   for a large employer.  The principal of the school may approve a 
 30.10  request to be absent from school conditioned on acceptable 
 30.11  academic performance and the requirement that the student must 
 30.12  have completed or be enrolled in a course of study in government 
 30.13  at the time of service as a trainee election judge.  
 30.14     Sec. 36.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.21, 
 30.15  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 30.16     Subdivision 1.  [APPOINTMENT LISTS; DUTIES OF POLITICAL 
 30.17  PARTIES AND COUNTY AUDITOR.] On July May 1 in a year in which 
 30.18  there is an election for a partisan political office, the county 
 30.19  or legislative district chairs of each major political party, 
 30.20  whichever is designated by the state party, shall prepare a list 
 30.21  of eligible voters who have stated in writing an interest in 
 30.22  seeking appointment to act as election judges in each election 
 30.23  precinct in the county or legislative district.  The chairs 
 30.24  shall furnish the lists to the county auditor of the county in 
 30.25  which the precinct is located.  
 30.26     By July May 15, the county auditor shall furnish to the 
 30.27  appointing authorities a list of the appropriate names for each 
 30.28  election precinct in the jurisdiction of the appointing 
 30.29  authority.  Separate lists shall be submitted by the county 
 30.30  auditor for each major political party. 
 30.31     Sec. 37.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.21, 
 30.32  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
 30.33     Subd. 2.  [APPOINTING AUTHORITY; POWERS AND DUTIES.] 
 30.34  Election judges for precincts in a municipality shall be 
 30.35  appointed by the governing body of the municipality.  Election 
 30.36  judges for precincts in unorganized territory and for performing 
 31.1   election-related duties assigned by the county auditor shall be 
 31.2   appointed by the county board.  Election judges for a precinct 
 31.3   composed of two or more municipalities must be appointed by the 
 31.4   governing body of the municipality or municipalities responsible 
 31.5   for appointing election judges as provided in the agreement to 
 31.6   combine for election purposes.  Appointments shall be made from 
 31.7   lists furnished pursuant to subdivision 1 subject to the 
 31.8   eligibility requirements and other qualifications established or 
 31.9   authorized under section 204B.19.  If no lists have been 
 31.10  furnished or if additional election judges are required after 
 31.11  all listed names have been exhausted, the appointing authority 
 31.12  may appoint any other individual, whether or not affiliated with 
 31.13  a major political party, to serve as an election judge subject 
 31.14  to the same requirements and qualifications.  The appointments 
 31.15  shall be made at least 25 days before the election at which the 
 31.16  election judges will serve. 
 31.17     Sec. 38.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.22, is 
 31.18  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
 31.19     Subd. 4.  [ELECTION JUDGE TRAINEES NOT COUNTED TOWARD 
 31.20  MINIMUM NUMBER OF ELECTION JUDGES.] The presence or 
 31.21  participation of election judge trainees must not be counted 
 31.22  toward satisfying any of the required numbers of election judges 
 31.23  in this chapter. 
 31.24     Sec. 39.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.34, 
 31.25  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 31.26     Subd. 3.  [JUDICIAL ELECTIONS.] When one or more justices 
 31.27  of the supreme court or judges of the court of appeals or of a 
 31.28  district court are to be nominated at the same primary or 
 31.29  elected at the same general election, the notice of election 
 31.30  shall state the name of each justice or judge whose successor is 
 31.31  to be nominated or elected seat number assigned to each office.  
 31.32     Sec. 40.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.36, 
 31.33  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
 31.34     Subd. 4.  [JUDICIAL CANDIDATES.] The official ballot shall 
 31.35  contain the names of all candidates for each judicial office and 
 31.36  shall state the number of those candidates for whom a voter may 
 32.1   vote.  Each seat for an associate justice, associate judge, or 
 32.2   judge of the district court must be numbered.  The words 
 32.3   "SUPREME COURT," "COURT OF APPEALS," and "(number) DISTRICT 
 32.4   COURT" must be printed above the respective judicial office 
 32.5   groups on the ballot.  The title of each judicial office shall 
 32.6   be printed on the official primary and general election ballot 
 32.7   as follows:  
 32.8      (a) In the case of the supreme court:  
 32.9      "Chief justice - supreme court"; 
 32.10     "Associate justice (number) - supreme court" 
 32.11     (b) In the case of the court of appeals:  
 32.12     "Judge (number) - court of appeals"; or 
 32.13     (c) In the case of the district court:  
 32.14     "Judge (number) - (number) district court." 
 32.15     Sec. 41.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204B.41, is 
 32.16  amended to read: 
 32.17     204B.41 [VACANCY IN NOMINATION; CHANGING BALLOTS.] 
 32.18     When a vacancy in nomination occurs through the death or 
 32.19  catastrophic illness of a candidate after the 16th day before 
 32.20  the general election, the officer in charge of preparing the 
 32.21  ballots shall prepare and distribute a sufficient number of 
 32.22  separate paper ballots which shall be headed with the words 
 32.23  "OFFICIAL SUPPLEMENTAL BALLOT."  This ballot shall contain the 
 32.24  title of the office for which the vacancy in nomination has been 
 32.25  filled and the names of all the candidates nominated for that 
 32.26  office.  The ballot shall conform to the provisions governing 
 32.27  the printing of other official ballots as far as practicable.  
 32.28  The title of the office and the names of the candidates for that 
 32.29  office shall be blotted out or stricken from the regular ballots 
 32.30  by the election judges.  The official supplemental ballot shall 
 32.31  be given to each voter when the voter is given the regular 
 32.32  ballot or is directed to the voting machine.  Regular ballots 
 32.33  shall not be changed nor shall official supplemental ballots be 
 32.34  prepared as provided in this section during the three calendar 
 32.35  days before an election.  Absentee ballots that have been mailed 
 32.36  prior to the preparation of official supplemental ballots shall 
 33.1   be counted in the same manner as if the vacancy had not 
 33.2   occurred.  Official supplemental ballots shall not be mailed to 
 33.3   absent voters to whom ballots were mailed before the official 
 33.4   supplemental ballots were prepared.  Both an official 
 33.5   supplemental ballot and a replacement regular ballot from which 
 33.6   the title of the office and names of the candidates for that 
 33.7   office have been blotted out or stricken as provided in this 
 33.8   section must be provided to each absentee voter or voter 
 33.9   residing in a precinct voting by mail who requests either of 
 33.10  them under section 203B.06, subdivision 3.  The election judges 
 33.11  conducting absentee voting in health care facilities as provided 
 33.12  in section 203B.11, subdivision 1, must deliver official 
 33.13  supplemental ballots and replacement regular ballots to those 
 33.14  facilities no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day before the 
 33.15  election. 
 33.16     Sec. 42.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.06, is 
 33.17  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
 33.18     Subd. 8.  [ACCESS FOR NEWS MEDIA.] The county auditor or 
 33.19  municipal or school district clerk, or their designee, may, by 
 33.20  written authorization, permit news media representatives to 
 33.21  enter polling places for up to 15 minutes during voting hours to 
 33.22  observe the voting process.  A media representative must present 
 33.23  written authorization and a photo identification to the head 
 33.24  election judge upon arrival at the polling place and must not 
 33.25  otherwise: 
 33.26     (1) approach within six feet of an election judge or voter; 
 33.27     (2) converse with a voter while in the polling place; 
 33.28     (3) make a list of persons voting or not voting; 
 33.29     (4) interview a voter within the polling place; or 
 33.30     (5) photograph a voter who has not provided a signed 
 33.31  release to the media representative. 
 33.32     Sec. 43.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.07, 
 33.33  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
 33.34     Subd. 4.  [RESTRICTIONS ON CONDUCT.] The election judges 
 33.35  shall permit challengers appointed pursuant to this section to 
 33.36  be present in the polling place during the hours of voting and 
 34.1   to remain there until the votes are counted and the results 
 34.2   declared.  No challenger shall handle or inspect registration 
 34.3   cards, files, or lists.  Challengers shall not prepare in any 
 34.4   manner any list of individuals who have or have not voted or the 
 34.5   number of persons who have or have not voted.  They shall not 
 34.6   attempt to influence voting in any manner.  They must remain in 
 34.7   the area designated by the head election judge and shall not 
 34.8   converse with a voter except to determine, in the presence of an 
 34.9   election judge, whether the voter is eligible to vote in the 
 34.10  precinct. 
 34.11     Sec. 44.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.10, is 
 34.12  amended to read: 
 34.13     204C.10 [PERMANENT REGISTRATION; VERIFICATION OF 
 34.14  REGISTRATION.] 
 34.15     An individual seeking to vote shall sign a polling place 
 34.16  roster which states that the individual is at least 18 years of 
 34.17  age, a citizen of the United States, has resided in Minnesota 
 34.18  for 20 days immediately preceding the election, certifies 
 34.19  maintains residence at the address shown, is not under 
 34.20  guardianship of the person, has not been found by a court of law 
 34.21  to be legally incompetent to vote or convicted of a felony 
 34.22  without having civil rights restored, is registered and has not 
 34.23  already voted in the election.  The roster must also state:  "I 
 34.24  understand that giving false information is a felony punishable 
 34.25  by not more than five years imprisonment and a fine of not more 
 34.26  than $10,000, or both."  A judge may, before the applicant signs 
 34.27  the roster, confirm the applicant's name, address, and date of 
 34.28  birth.  After the applicant signs the roster, the judge shall 
 34.29  give the applicant a voter's receipt.  The voter shall deliver 
 34.30  the voter's receipt to the judge in charge of ballots as proof 
 34.31  of the voter's right to vote, and thereupon the judge shall hand 
 34.32  to the voter the ballot.  The voters' receipts must be 
 34.33  maintained during the time for notice of filing an election 
 34.34  contest. 
 34.35     Sec. 45.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.12, 
 34.36  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
 35.1      Subd. 4.  [REFUSAL TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR SIGN A POLLING 
 35.2   PLACE ROSTER; CONSEQUENCES OF SUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE.] A 
 35.3   challenged individual who is found to be ineligible to vote in 
 35.4   that precinct or who refuses to answer questions or sign a 
 35.5   polling place roster as required by this section must not be 
 35.6   allowed to vote and the county auditor must reclassify as 
 35.7   inactive the record of the challenged individual within 14 days 
 35.8   following the challenge.  A challenged individual who leaves the 
 35.9   polling place and returns later willing to answer questions or 
 35.10  sign a polling place roster must not be allowed to vote.  
 35.11     Sec. 46.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.19, 
 35.12  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 35.13     Subdivision 1.  [PROCEDURE.] When the hours for voting have 
 35.14  ended and all voting has concluded, the election judges shall 
 35.15  immediately count the votes cast at the election.  The count 
 35.16  shall be held at the polling place and shall be public.  It 
 35.17  shall be continued without intermission until it is completed 
 35.18  and the results are declared, except that the election judges 
 35.19  may recess for meals or other necessary purposes.  No one may 
 35.20  approach within six feet of the election judges or converse with 
 35.21  the election judges while ballots are being counted.  During the 
 35.22  count no one except the election judges shall handle the 
 35.23  ballots.  Any other individual who touches or interferes with 
 35.24  ballots during the counting or any election judge who permits 
 35.25  such touching or interference is guilty of a misdemeanor. 
 35.26     Sec. 47.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.20, 
 35.27  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
 35.28     Subd. 2.  [EXCESS BALLOTS.] If two or more ballots are 
 35.29  found folded together like a single ballot, the election judges 
 35.30  shall lay them aside until all the ballots in the box have been 
 35.31  counted.  If it is evident from the number of ballots to be 
 35.32  counted that the ballots folded together were cast by one voter, 
 35.33  the election judges shall preserve but not count them.  If the 
 35.34  number of ballots in one box exceeds the number to be counted, 
 35.35  the election judges shall examine all the ballots in the box to 
 35.36  ascertain that all are properly marked with the initials of the 
 36.1   election judges.  If any ballots are not properly marked with 
 36.2   the initials of the election judges, the election judges shall 
 36.3   preserve but not count them; however, if the number of ballots 
 36.4   does not exceed the number to be counted, the absence of either 
 36.5   or both sets of initials of the election judges does not, by 
 36.6   itself, disqualify the vote from being counted and must not be 
 36.7   the basis of a challenge in a recount.  If there is still an 
 36.8   excess of properly marked ballots, the election judges shall 
 36.9   replace them in the box, and one election judge, without 
 36.10  looking, shall withdraw from the box a number of ballots equal 
 36.11  to the excess.  The withdrawn ballots shall not be counted but 
 36.12  shall be preserved as provided in subdivision 4.  
 36.13     Sec. 48.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.24, 
 36.14  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 36.15     Subdivision 1.  [INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS.] Precinct 
 36.16  summary statements shall be submitted by the election judges in 
 36.17  every precinct.  For state elections, the election judges shall 
 36.18  complete three or more copies of the summary statements, and 
 36.19  each copy shall contain the following information for each kind 
 36.20  of ballot:  
 36.21     (a) the number of votes each candidate received, including 
 36.22  write-in candidates for state or federal office who have 
 36.23  requested under section 204B.09 that votes for those candidates 
 36.24  be tallied, or the number of yes and no votes on each question, 
 36.25  the number of undervotes or partially blank ballots, and the 
 36.26  number of overvotes or partially defective ballots with respect 
 36.27  to each office or question; 
 36.28     (b) the number of totally blank ballots, the number of 
 36.29  totally defective ballots, the number of spoiled ballots, and 
 36.30  the number of unused ballots; 
 36.31     (c) the number of individuals who voted at the election in 
 36.32  the precinct; 
 36.33     (d) the number of voters registering on election day in 
 36.34  that precinct; and 
 36.35     (e) the signatures of the election judges who counted the 
 36.36  ballots certifying that all of the ballots cast were properly 
 37.1   piled, checked, and counted; and that the numbers entered by the 
 37.2   election judges on the summary statements correctly show the 
 37.3   number of votes cast for each candidate and for and against each 
 37.4   question. 
 37.5      At least two copies of the summary statement must be 
 37.6   prepared for elections not held on the same day as the state 
 37.7   elections. 
 37.8      Sec. 49.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.35, is 
 37.9   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
 37.10     Subd. 3.  [SCOPE OF RECOUNT.] A recount conducted as 
 37.11  provided in this section is limited in scope to the 
 37.12  determination of the number of votes validly cast for the office 
 37.13  to be recounted.  Only the ballots cast in the election and the 
 37.14  summary statements certified by the election judges may be 
 37.15  considered in the recount process. 
 37.16     Sec. 50.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.36, 
 37.17  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 37.18     Subdivision 1.  [REQUIRED AUTOMATIC RECOUNTS.] (a) Except 
 37.19  as provided in paragraph (b), a losing candidate for nomination 
 37.20  or election to a county, municipal, or school district office 
 37.21  may request a recount of the votes cast for the nomination or 
 37.22  election to that office if the difference between the vote cast 
 37.23  for that candidate and for a winning candidate for nomination or 
 37.24  election is less than one-half of one percent of the total votes 
 37.25  counted for that office.  In case of offices where two or more 
 37.26  seats are being filled from among all the candidates for the 
 37.27  office, the one-half of one percent difference is between the 
 37.28  elected candidate with the fewest votes and the candidate with 
 37.29  the most votes from among the candidates who were not elected.  
 37.30     (b) A losing candidate for nomination or election to a 
 37.31  county, municipal, or school district office may request a 
 37.32  recount of the votes cast for nomination or election to that 
 37.33  office if the difference between the vote cast for that 
 37.34  candidate and for a winning candidate for nomination or election 
 37.35  is ten votes or less, and the total number of votes cast for the 
 37.36  nomination or election of all candidates is no more than 400.  
 38.1   In cases of offices where two or more seats are being filled 
 38.2   from among all the candidates for the office, the ten vote 
 38.3   difference is between the elected candidate with the fewest 
 38.4   votes and the candidate with the most votes from among the 
 38.5   candidates who were not elected. 
 38.6      (c) Candidates for county offices shall file a written 
 38.7   request for the recount with the county auditor.  Candidates for 
 38.8   municipal or school district offices shall file a written 
 38.9   request with the municipal or school district clerk as 
 38.10  appropriate.  All requests shall be filed during the time for 
 38.11  notice of contest of the primary or election for which a recount 
 38.12  is sought.  
 38.13     (d) Upon receipt of a request made pursuant to this 
 38.14  section, the county auditor shall recount the votes for a county 
 38.15  office at the expense of the county, the governing body of the 
 38.16  municipality shall recount the votes for a municipal office at 
 38.17  the expense of the municipality, and the school board of the 
 38.18  school district shall recount the votes for a school district 
 38.19  office at the expense of the school district. If the difference 
 38.20  between the votes cast for the candidates for nomination to a 
 38.21  county, municipal, or school district office: 
 38.22     (1) is less than one-half of one percent of the total 
 38.23  number of votes counted for that nomination; or 
 38.24     (2) is ten votes or less and the total number of votes cast 
 38.25  for that nomination is 400 votes or less, 
 38.26  and the difference determines the nomination, the canvassing 
 38.27  board with responsibility for declaring the results for that 
 38.28  office must recount the vote. 
 38.29     (b) In a general election, if the difference between the 
 38.30  votes of a candidate who would otherwise be declared elected to 
 38.31  a county, municipal, or school district office and the votes of 
 38.32  any other candidate for that office: 
 38.33     (1) is less than one-half of one percent of the total 
 38.34  number of votes counted for that office; or 
 38.35     (2) is ten votes or less if the total number of votes cast 
 38.36  for that office is 400 votes or less, 
 39.1   the canvassing board must recount the votes. 
 39.2      (c) In case of offices where two or more seats are being 
 39.3   filled from among all the candidates for the office, the 
 39.4   one-half of one percent difference is between the elected 
 39.5   candidate with the fewest votes and the candidate with the most 
 39.6   votes from among the candidates who were not elected.  In cases 
 39.7   of offices where two or more seats are being filled from among 
 39.8   all the candidates for the office, the ten vote difference is 
 39.9   between the elected candidate with the fewest votes and the 
 39.10  candidate with the most votes from among the candidates who were 
 39.11  not elected. 
 39.12     (d) A recount must not delay any other part of the 
 39.13  canvass.  The results of the recount must be certified by the 
 39.14  canvassing board as soon as possible. 
 39.15     (e) Time for notice of a contest for an office which is 
 39.16  recounted under this section begins to run on certification of 
 39.17  the results of the recount by the canvassing board. 
 39.18     (f) A losing candidate may waive a recount required under 
 39.19  this section by filing a written notice of waiver with the 
 39.20  canvassing board. 
 39.21     (g) The county auditor must recount the votes for a county 
 39.22  office at the expense of the county, the governing body of the 
 39.23  municipality must recount the votes for a municipal office at 
 39.24  the expense of the municipality, and the school board of the 
 39.25  school district must recount the votes for a school district 
 39.26  office at the expense of the school district. 
 39.27     Sec. 51.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.36, 
 39.28  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 39.29     Subd. 3.  [DISCRETIONARY BALLOT QUESTION RECOUNTS.] (a) A 
 39.30  recount may must be conducted for a ballot question when the 
 39.31  difference between the votes for and the votes against the 
 39.32  question is less than or equal to the difference provided in 
 39.33  subdivision 1.  The expenses for the recount must be paid for by 
 39.34  the political subdivision placing the question on the ballot. 
 39.35     (b) In other cases, a recount may be requested by any 
 39.36  person eligible to vote on the ballot question.  A written 
 40.1   request for a recount must be filed with the filing officer of 
 40.2   the county, municipality, or school district placing the 
 40.3   question on the ballot and must be accompanied by a petition 
 40.4   containing the signatures of 25 voters eligible to vote on the 
 40.5   question.  If the difference between the votes for and the votes 
 40.6   against the question is greater than the difference provided in 
 40.7   subdivision 1, The person requesting the recount shall also file 
 40.8   with the filing officer of the county, municipality, or school 
 40.9   district a bond, cash, or surety in an amount set by the 
 40.10  appropriate governing body for the payment of recount expenses.  
 40.11  The written request, petition, and any bond, cash, or surety 
 40.12  required must be filed during the time for notice of contest for 
 40.13  the election for which the recount is requested.  
 40.14     Sec. 52.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.36, is 
 40.15  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
 40.16     Subd. 6.  [SCOPE OF RECOUNT.] A recount conducted as 
 40.17  provided in this section is limited in scope to the 
 40.18  determination of the number of votes validly cast for the office 
 40.19  or question to be recounted.  Only the ballots cast in the 
 40.20  election and the summary statements certified by the election 
 40.21  judges may be considered in the recount process. 
 40.22     Sec. 53.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.361, is 
 40.23  amended to read: 
 40.24     204C.361 [RULES FOR RECOUNTS.] 
 40.25     (a) The secretary of state shall adopt rules according to 
 40.26  the Administrative Procedure Act establishing uniform recount 
 40.27  procedures.  All recounts provided for by sections 204C.35, 
 40.28  204C.36, and 206.88, shall be conducted in accordance with these 
 40.29  rules.  
 40.30     (b) Notwithstanding Minnesota Rules, part 8235.0800, the 
 40.31  requirement that ballots be recounted by precinct means that a 
 40.32  recount official shall maintain the segregation of ballots by 
 40.33  precinct but the recount official may recount more than one 
 40.34  precinct at a time in physically separate locations within the 
 40.35  room in which the recount is administered. 
 40.36     Sec. 54.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204D.14, is 
 41.1   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
 41.2      Subd. 3.  [UNCONTESTED JUDICIAL OFFICES.] Judicial offices 
 41.3   for which there is only one candidate filed must appear after 
 41.4   all judicial offices on the canary ballot. 
 41.5      Sec. 55.  [204D.169] [EXAMPLE SUPPLEMENTAL BALLOT.] 
 41.6      When an official supplemental ballot must be used in a 
 41.7   general election in accordance with section 204B.41, the 
 41.8   secretary of state shall supply each auditor with a copy of an 
 41.9   example supplemental ballot at least three days prior to the 
 41.10  election.  The example supplemental ballot must illustrate the 
 41.11  format required for the official supplemental ballot. 
 41.12     The county auditor shall distribute copies of the example 
 41.13  supplemental ballot to municipal and school district clerks in 
 41.14  municipalities and school districts holding elections that 
 41.15  year.  The official supplemental ballot must conform in all 
 41.16  respects to the example supplemental ballot.  Failure of the 
 41.17  official supplemental ballot to conform may be reported by any 
 41.18  person to the county attorney in the same manner as provided by 
 41.19  section 201.275. 
 41.20     Sec. 56.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204D.27, 
 41.21  subdivision 11, is amended to read: 
 41.22     Subd. 11.  [CERTIFICATE OF LEGISLATIVE ELECTION.] A 
 41.23  certificate of election in a special election for state senator 
 41.24  or state representative shall be issued by the county auditor or 
 41.25  the secretary of state to the individual declared elected by the 
 41.26  county or state canvassing board two days, excluding Sundays and 
 41.27  legal holidays, after the appropriate canvassing board finishes 
 41.28  canvassing the returns for the election.  
 41.29     In case of a contest the certificate shall not be issued 
 41.30  until the district court determines the contest.  
 41.31     Sec. 57.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205.02, 
 41.32  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 41.33     Subdivision 1.  [MINNESOTA ELECTION LAW.] Except as 
 41.34  expressly provided in this chapter by law, the provisions of the 
 41.35  Minnesota Election Law apply to municipal elections, so far as 
 41.36  practicable. 
 42.1      Sec. 58.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205.075, is 
 42.2   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
 42.3      Subd. 3.  [MORE THAN ONE SEAT TO BE FILLED AT ANY 
 42.4   ELECTION.] A candidate filing for town supervisor when more than 
 42.5   one seat is to be filled at an election held under subdivision 2 
 42.6   must designate when filing the specific seat which the candidate 
 42.7   is seeking. 
 42.8      Sec. 59.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205.16, 
 42.9   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
 42.10     Subd. 4.  [NOTICE TO AUDITOR.] At least 49 53 days prior to 
 42.11  every municipal election, the municipal clerk shall provide a 
 42.12  written notice to the county auditor, including the date of the 
 42.13  election, the offices to be voted on at the election, and the 
 42.14  title and language for each ballot question to be voted on at 
 42.15  the election. 
 42.16     Sec. 60.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205.16, is 
 42.17  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
 42.18     Subd. 5.  [NOTICE TO SECRETARY OF STATE.] At least 46 days 
 42.19  prior to every municipal election for which a notice is provided 
 42.20  to the county auditor under subdivision 4, the county auditor 
 42.21  shall provide a notice of the election to the secretary of 
 42.22  state, in a manner and including information prescribed by the 
 42.23  secretary of state. 
 42.24     Sec. 61.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205.185, 
 42.25  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
 42.26     Subd. 2.  [ELECTION, CONDUCT.] A municipal election shall 
 42.27  be by secret ballot and shall be held and the returns made in 
 42.28  the manner provided for the state general election, so far as 
 42.29  practicable except as expressly provided by law. 
 42.30     Sec. 62.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205.185, 
 42.31  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 42.32     Subd. 3.  [CANVASS OF RETURNS, CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION, 
 42.33  BALLOTS, DISPOSITION.] (a) Within seven days after an election, 
 42.34  the governing body of a city conducting any election including a 
 42.35  special municipal election, or the governing body of a town 
 42.36  conducting the general election in November shall act as the 
 43.1   canvassing board, canvass the returns, and declare the results 
 43.2   of the election.  The governing body of a town conducting the 
 43.3   general election in March shall act as the canvassing board, 
 43.4   canvass the returns, and declare the results of the election 
 43.5   within two days after an election.  
 43.6      (b) After the time for contesting elections has passed, the 
 43.7   municipal clerk shall issue a certificate of election to each 
 43.8   successful candidate.  In case of a contest, the certificate 
 43.9   shall not be issued until the outcome of the contest has been 
 43.10  determined by the proper court.  
 43.11     (c) In case of a tie vote, the governing body canvassing 
 43.12  board having jurisdiction over the municipality shall determine 
 43.13  the result by lot.  The clerk canvassing board shall certify the 
 43.14  results of the election to the county auditor, and the clerk 
 43.15  shall be the final custodian of the ballots and the returns of 
 43.16  the election. 
 43.17     Sec. 63.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205A.02, is 
 43.18  amended to read: 
 43.19     205A.02 [ELECTION LAW APPLICABLE.] 
 43.20     Except as expressly provided in this chapter by law, the 
 43.21  Minnesota Election Law applies to school district elections, as 
 43.22  far as practicable.  Elections in common school districts shall 
 43.23  be governed by section 123B.94. 
 43.24     Sec. 64.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205A.03, 
 43.25  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 43.26     Subdivision 1.  [RESOLUTION REQUIRED PRIMARY IN CERTAIN 
 43.27  CIRCUMSTANCES.] The school board of a school district may, by 
 43.28  resolution adopted by June 1 of any year, decide to choose 
 43.29  nominees for school district elective offices by a primary as 
 43.30  provided in subdivisions 1 to 6.  The resolution, when adopted, 
 43.31  is effective for all ensuing elections of board members in that 
 43.32  school district until it is revoked. In a school district 
 43.33  election, if there are more than two candidates for a specified 
 43.34  school board position or more than twice as many school board 
 43.35  candidates as there are at-large school board positions 
 43.36  available, a school district must hold a primary.  
 44.1      Sec. 65.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205A.03, 
 44.2   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 44.3      Subd. 3.  [CANDIDATES, FILING.] The clerk shall place upon 
 44.4   the primary ballot without partisan designation the names of 
 44.5   individuals whose candidacies have been filed and for whom the 
 44.6   proper filing fee has been paid.  When not more than twice the 
 44.7   number of individuals to be elected to a school district 
 44.8   elective office as many school board candidates as there are 
 44.9   at-large school board positions available file for nomination 
 44.10  for the office or when not more than two candidates for a 
 44.11  specified school board position file for nomination for that 
 44.12  office, their names must not be placed upon the primary ballot 
 44.13  and must be placed on the school district general election 
 44.14  ballot as the nominees for that office.  
 44.15     Sec. 66.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205A.03, 
 44.16  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
 44.17     Subd. 4.  [RESULTS.] The school district primary must be 
 44.18  conducted and the returns made in the manner provided for the 
 44.19  state primary as far as practicable.  Within two days after the 
 44.20  primary, the school board of the school district shall canvass 
 44.21  the returns, and the two candidates for each office specified 
 44.22  school board position who receive the highest number of votes, 
 44.23  or a number of candidates equal to twice the number of 
 44.24  individuals to be elected to the office at-large school board 
 44.25  positions who receive the highest number of votes, are the 
 44.26  nominees for the office named.  Their names must be certified to 
 44.27  the school district clerk who shall place them on the school 
 44.28  district general election ballot without partisan designation 
 44.29  and without payment of an additional fee. 
 44.30     Sec. 67.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205A.06, 
 44.31  subdivision 1a, is amended to read: 
 44.32     Subd. 1a.  [FILING PERIOD.] In school districts nominating 
 44.33  candidates at a school district primary, Affidavits of candidacy 
 44.34  may must be filed with the school district clerk no earlier than 
 44.35  the 70th day and no later than the 56th day before the first 
 44.36  Tuesday after the second Monday in September in the year when 
 45.1   the school district general election is held.  In all other 
 45.2   school districts, affidavits of candidacy must be filed not more 
 45.3   than 70 days and not less than 56 days before the school 
 45.4   district general election. 
 45.5      Sec. 68.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205A.07, 
 45.6   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 45.7      Subd. 3.  [NOTICE TO AUDITOR.] At least 49 53 days prior to 
 45.8   every school district election, the school district clerk shall 
 45.9   provide a written notice to the county auditor of each county in 
 45.10  which the school district is located.  The notice must include 
 45.11  the date of the election, the offices to be voted on at the 
 45.12  election, and the title and language for each ballot question to 
 45.13  be voted on at the election.  For the purposes of meeting the 
 45.14  timelines of this section, in a bond election, a notice, 
 45.15  including a proposed question, may be provided to the county 
 45.16  auditor prior to receipt of a review and comment from the 
 45.17  commissioner of children, families, and learning and prior to 
 45.18  actual initiation of the election. 
 45.19     Sec. 69.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 205A.07, is 
 45.20  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
 45.21     Subd. 3a.  [NOTICE TO SECRETARY OF STATE.] At least 46 days 
 45.22  prior to every school district election for which a notice is 
 45.23  provided to the county auditor under subdivision 3, the county 
 45.24  auditor shall provide a notice of the election to the secretary 
 45.25  of state, in a manner and including information prescribed by 
 45.26  the secretary of state. 
 45.27     Sec. 70.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 206.58, 
 45.28  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 45.29     Subdivision 1.  [MUNICIPALITIES.] The governing body of a 
 45.30  municipality, at a regular meeting or at a special meeting 
 45.31  called for the purpose, may provide for the use of an electronic 
 45.32  voting system in one or more precincts and at all elections in 
 45.33  the precincts, subject to approval by the county auditor.  The 
 45.34  governing body shall disseminate information to the public about 
 45.35  the use of a new voting system at least 60 30 days prior to the 
 45.36  election and shall provide for instruction of voters with a 
 46.1   demonstration voting system in a public place for the six weeks 
 46.2   30 days immediately prior to the first election at which the new 
 46.3   voting system will be used.  
 46.4      No system may be adopted or used unless it has been 
 46.5   approved by the secretary of state pursuant to section 206.57. 
 46.6      Sec. 71.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 206.81, is 
 46.7   amended to read: 
 46.8      206.81 [ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS; EXPERIMENTAL USE.] 
 46.9      (a) The secretary of state may license an electronic voting 
 46.10  system for experimental use at an election prior to its approval 
 46.11  for general use. 
 46.12     (b) The secretary of state must license one or more 
 46.13  touch-sensitive direct recording electronic voting systems for 
 46.14  experimental use at an election before their approval for 
 46.15  general use and may impose restrictions on their use.  At least 
 46.16  one voting system licensed under this paragraph must permit 
 46.17  sighted persons to vote and at least one system must permit a 
 46.18  blind or visually impaired voter to cast a ballot independently 
 46.19  and privately.  The secretary of state may experimentally use 
 46.20  the systems at any election held at the same time as the state 
 46.21  primary or general election or at any municipal election. 
 46.22     (c) Experimental use must be observed by the secretary of 
 46.23  state or the secretary's designee and the results observed must 
 46.24  be considered at any subsequent proceedings for approval for 
 46.25  general use. 
 46.26     (d) The secretary of state may adopt rules consistent with 
 46.27  sections 206.55 to 206.90 relating to experimental use.  The 
 46.28  extent of experimental use must be determined by the secretary 
 46.29  of state. 
 46.30     Sec. 72.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 206.90, 
 46.31  subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
 46.32     Subd. 6.  [BALLOTS.] In precincts using optical scan voting 
 46.33  systems, a single ballot card on which all ballot information is 
 46.34  included must be printed in black ink on white colored material 
 46.35  except that marks not to be read by the automatic tabulating 
 46.36  equipment may be printed in another color ink.  
 47.1      On the front of the ballot must be printed the words 
 47.2   "Official Ballot" and the date of the election and lines for the 
 47.3   initials of at least two election judges. 
 47.4      When optical scan ballots are used, the offices to be 
 47.5   elected must appear in the following order:  federal offices; 
 47.6   state legislative offices; constitutional offices; proposed 
 47.7   constitutional amendments; county offices and questions; 
 47.8   municipal offices and questions; school district offices and 
 47.9   questions; special district offices and questions; and judicial 
 47.10  offices. 
 47.11     On optical scan ballots, the names of candidates and the 
 47.12  words "yes" and "no" for ballot questions must be printed as 
 47.13  close to their corresponding vote targets as possible. 
 47.14     The line on an optical scan ballot for write-in votes must 
 47.15  contain the words "write-in, if any." 
 47.16     If a primary ballot contains both a partisan ballot and a 
 47.17  nonpartisan ballot, the instructions to voters must include a 
 47.18  statement that reads substantially as follows:  "THIS BALLOT 
 47.19  CARD CONTAINS A PARTISAN BALLOT AND A NONPARTISAN BALLOT.  ON 
 47.20  THE PARTISAN BALLOT YOU ARE PERMITTED TO VOTE FOR CANDIDATES OF 
 47.21  ONE POLITICAL PARTY ONLY."  If a primary ballot contains 
 47.22  political party columns on both sides of the ballot, the 
 47.23  instructions to voters must include a statement that reads 
 47.24  substantially as follows:  "ADDITIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES ARE 
 47.25  PRINTED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS BALLOT.  VOTE FOR ONE 
 47.26  POLITICAL PARTY ONLY."  At the bottom of each political party 
 47.27  column on the primary ballot, the ballot must contain a 
 47.28  statement that reads substantially as follows:  "CONTINUE VOTING 
 47.29  ON THE NONPARTISAN BALLOT."  The instructions in section 
 47.30  204D.08, subdivision 4, do not apply to optical scan partisan 
 47.31  primary ballots. 
 47.32     Sec. 73.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 211A.02, is 
 47.33  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
 47.34     Subd. 5.  [ELECTRONIC REPORTING.] The reports required by 
 47.35  this section may be filed electronically, subject to the 
 47.36  approval of the filing officer. 
 48.1      Sec. 74.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 211B.045, is 
 48.2   amended to read: 
 48.3      211B.045 [NONCOMMERCIAL SIGNS EXEMPTION.] 
 48.4      In any municipality with, whether or not the municipality 
 48.5   has an ordinance that regulates the size or number of 
 48.6   noncommercial signs, notwithstanding the provisions of that 
 48.7   ordinance, all noncommercial signs of any size may be posted in 
 48.8   any number from August 1 in a state general election year until 
 48.9   ten days following the state general election. 
 48.10     Sec. 75.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 351.01, 
 48.11  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
 48.12     Subd. 4.  [WITHDRAWAL OF RESIGNATION.] A prospective 
 48.13  resignation permitted by subdivision 3 may only be withdrawn by 
 48.14  a written statement signed by the officer and submitted in the 
 48.15  same manner as the resignation, and may only be withdrawn before 
 48.16  it has been accepted by resolution of the body or board 
 48.17  or before a written acceptance of the resignation by an officer 
 48.18  authorized to receive it. 
 48.19     Sec. 76.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 365.51, 
 48.20  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 48.21     Subd. 3.  [OFFICERS; OTHER BUSINESS.] An annual town 
 48.22  election shall be held on the same day as the annual town 
 48.23  meeting to elect all town officers required by law to be elected 
 48.24  and to consider ballot questions, except as provided in section 
 48.25  205.075, subdivision 2.  Other town business shall be conducted 
 48.26  at the town meeting as provided by law.  
 48.27     Sec. 77.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 367.12, is 
 48.28  amended to read: 
 48.29     367.12 [DEPUTY CLERK.] 
 48.30     Each town clerk may appoint a deputy, for whose acts the 
 48.31  clerk shall be responsible, and who, in the clerk's absence or 
 48.32  disability, shall perform the clerk's duties.  If a town clerk 
 48.33  has not appointed a deputy, the town treasurer shall perform the 
 48.34  duties of the clerk relating to receiving candidate filings when 
 48.35  the clerk is absent. 
 48.36     Sec. 78.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 414.041, 
 49.1   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
 49.2      Subdivision 1.  [INITIATING THE PROCEEDING.] (a) Two or 
 49.3   more municipalities may be the subject of a single proceeding 
 49.4   provided that each municipality abuts at least one of the 
 49.5   included municipalities.  
 49.6      (b) The proceeding shall be initiated in one of the 
 49.7   following ways:  
 49.8      (1) submitting to the director a resolution of the city 
 49.9   council of each affected municipality; 
 49.10     (2) submitting to the director a petition signed by a 
 49.11  number of residents eligible to vote equivalent to five percent 
 49.12  or more of the resident voters of a municipality who voted for 
 49.13  governor at the last general election; or 
 49.14     (3) by the director.  
 49.15     (c) The petition or resolution shall set forth the 
 49.16  following information about each included municipality:  name, 
 49.17  description of boundaries, the reasons for requesting the 
 49.18  consolidation and the names of all parties entitled to mailed 
 49.19  notice under section 414.09.  
 49.20     (d) The party initiating the proceeding shall serve copies 
 49.21  of the petition or resolution on all of the included 
 49.22  municipalities. 
 49.23     Sec. 79.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 447.32, 
 49.24  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
 49.25     Subd. 3.  [ELECTION NOTICES.] At least two weeks before the 
 49.26  first day to file affidavits of candidacy, the clerk of the 
 49.27  district shall publish a notice stating the first and last day 
 49.28  on which affidavits of candidacy may be filed, the places for 
 49.29  filing the affidavits and the closing time of the last day for 
 49.30  filing.  The clerk shall post a similar notice in at least one 
 49.31  conspicuous place in each city and town in the district at least 
 49.32  ten days before the first day to file affidavits of candidacy. 
 49.33     At least 53 days prior to every hospital district election, 
 49.34  the hospital district clerk shall provide a written notice to 
 49.35  the county auditor of each county in which the hospital district 
 49.36  is located.  The notice must include the date of the election, 
 50.1   the offices to be voted on at the election, and the title and 
 50.2   language for each ballot question to be voted on at the election.
 50.3      At least 46 days prior to every hospital district election 
 50.4   for which a notice is provided to the county auditor under this 
 50.5   subdivision, the county auditor shall provide a notice of the 
 50.6   election to the secretary of state, in a manner and including 
 50.7   information prescribed by the secretary of state. 
 50.8      The notice of each election must be posted in at least one 
 50.9   public and conspicuous place within each city and town included 
 50.10  in the district at least ten days before the election.  It must 
 50.11  be published in the official newspaper of the district or, if a 
 50.12  paper has not been designated, in a legal newspaper having 
 50.13  general circulation within the district, at least two weeks 
 50.14  before the election.  Failure to give notice does not invalidate 
 50.15  the election of an officer of the district.  A voter may contest 
 50.16  a hospital district election in accordance with chapter 209.  
 50.17  Chapter 209 applies to hospital district elections. 
 50.18     Sec. 80.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 447.32, 
 50.19  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
 50.20     Subd. 4.  [CANDIDATES; BALLOTS; CERTIFYING ELECTION.] A 
 50.21  person who wants to be a candidate for the hospital board shall 
 50.22  file an affidavit of candidacy for the election either as member 
 50.23  at large or as a member representing the city or town where the 
 50.24  candidate resides.  The affidavit of candidacy must be filed 
 50.25  with the city or town clerk not more than ten weeks nor less 
 50.26  than eight weeks before the Tuesday after the second Monday in 
 50.27  September of the year in which the general election is held.  
 50.28  The city or town clerk must forward the affidavits of candidacy 
 50.29  to the clerk of the hospital district or, for the first 
 50.30  election, the clerk of the most populous city or town 
 50.31  immediately after the last day of the filing period.  A 
 50.32  candidate may withdraw from the election by filing an affidavit 
 50.33  of withdrawal with the clerk of the district no later than 5:00 
 50.34  p.m. two days after the last day to file affidavits of candidacy.
 50.35     Voting must be by secret ballot.  The clerk shall prepare, 
 50.36  at the expense of the district, necessary ballots for the 
 51.1   election of officers.  Ballots must be printed on tan paper and 
 51.2   prepared as provided in the rules of the secretary of state.  
 51.3   The ballots must be marked and initialed by at least two judges 
 51.4   as official ballots and used exclusively at the election.  Any 
 51.5   proposition to be voted on may be printed on the ballot provided 
 51.6   the election of officers.  The hospital board may also authorize 
 51.7   the use of voting systems subject to chapter 206.  Enough 
 51.8   election judges may be appointed to receive the votes at each 
 51.9   polling place.  The election judges shall act as clerks of 
 51.10  election, count the ballots cast, and submit them to the board 
 51.11  for canvass.  
 51.12     After canvassing the election, the board shall issue a 
 51.13  certificate of election to the candidate who received the 
 51.14  largest number of votes cast for each office.  The clerk shall 
 51.15  deliver the certificate to the person entitled to it in person 
 51.16  or by certified mail.  Each person certified shall file an 
 51.17  acceptance and oath of office in writing with the clerk within 
 51.18  30 days after the date of delivery or mailing of the 
 51.19  certificate.  The board may fill any office as provided in 
 51.20  subdivision 1 if the person elected fails to qualify within 30 
 51.21  days, but qualification is effective if made before the board 
 51.22  acts to fill the vacancy. 
 51.23     Sec. 81.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
 51.24     This act is effective August 1, 2003, except that sections 
 51.25  59, 60, 68, 69, and 79 are effective January 1, 2004; sections 
 51.26  64 to 67 are effective the day following final enactment for 
 51.27  independent school district No. 742; and sections 64 to 67 are 
 51.28  effective January 1, 2004, for all other school districts and 
 51.29  apply to school board elections held in 2004 and thereafter.