1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to cooperatives; authorizing electronic 
  1.3             voting; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 
  1.4             308A.635, subdivisions 4, 6. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 308A.635, 
  1.7   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 4.  [VOTING METHOD.] A member's vote at a members' 
  1.9   meeting must be in person or by mail if a mail vote is 
  1.10  authorized by the board, or by electronic means if an electronic 
  1.11  vote is authorized by the board, and not by proxy except as 
  1.12  provided in subdivisions 2 and 5.  
  1.13     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 308A.635, 
  1.14  subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  1.15     Subd. 6.  [ABSENTEE BALLOTS.] (a) A member who is absent 
  1.16  from a members' meeting may vote by mail or by electronic means 
  1.17  on the ballot prescribed in this subdivision on any motion, 
  1.18  resolution, or amendment that the board submits for vote by mail 
  1.19  to the members. 
  1.20     (b) The ballot shall be in the form prescribed by the board 
  1.21  and contain: 
  1.22     (1) the exact text of the proposed motion, resolution, or 
  1.23  amendment to be acted on at the meeting; and 
  1.24     (2) spaces opposite the text of the motion, resolution, or 
  1.25  amendment in which the member may indicate an affirmative or 
  2.1   negative vote.  
  2.2      (c) If the vote is by mail, the member shall express a 
  2.3   choice by marking an "X" in the appropriate space on the ballot 
  2.4   and mail or deliver the ballot to the cooperative in a plain, 
  2.5   sealed envelope inside another envelope bearing the member's 
  2.6   name.  
  2.7      (d) If the vote is by electronic means, the member may vote 
  2.8   over the Internet if the cooperative has taken security measures 
  2.9   to ensure it is the cooperative member who is casting the vote. 
  2.10     (e) A properly executed ballot shall be accepted by the 
  2.11  board and counted as the vote of the absent member at the 
  2.12  meeting.