1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to elections; providing for more accurate 
  1.3             election results; authorizing and financing certain 
  1.4             equipment upgrades; eliminating certain obsolete 
  1.5             language; providing for translation of voting 
  1.6             instructions; requiring a report; appropriating money; 
  1.7             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 204B.22, 
  1.8             subdivision 3; 204B.27, by adding a subdivision; and 
  1.9             206.81; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.10            Statutes, chapter 206; repealing Minnesota Statutes 
  1.11            2000, section 204C.15, subdivision 2a. 
  1.12  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.13     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 204B.22, 
  1.14  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.15     Subd. 3.  [MINIMUM NUMBER REQUIRED IN CERTAIN PRECINCTS.] 
  1.16  At each state primary or state general election in precincts 
  1.17  using lever voting machines or an electronic voting system with 
  1.18  marking devices and in which more than 400 votes were cast at 
  1.19  the last similar election, the minimum number of election judges 
  1.20  is three plus one judge to demonstrate the use of the voting 
  1.21  machine or device. 
  1.22     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 204B.27, is 
  1.23  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.24     Subd. 11.  [TRANSLATION OF VOTING INSTRUCTIONS.] The 
  1.25  secretary of state may develop voting instructions in languages 
  1.26  other than English, to be posted and made available in polling 
  1.27  places during elections.  The secretary of state shall determine 
  1.28  which languages are so common in Minnesota that there is a need 
  2.1   for translated voting instructions. 
  2.2      Sec. 3.  [206.585] [VOTING SYSTEM UPGRADE ACCOUNT.] 
  2.3      The voting system upgrade account is established in the 
  2.4   state treasury for administration of a statewide program to 
  2.5   provide a precinct count optical scan system.  Money in the 
  2.6   account is appropriated to the secretary of state, whose office 
  2.7   shall administer the program after receiving consultation and 
  2.8   advice from local government units.  
  2.9      Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 206.81, is 
  2.10  amended to read: 
  2.11     206.81 [ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS; EXPERIMENTAL USE.] 
  2.12     (a) The secretary of state may license an electronic voting 
  2.13  system for experimental use at an election prior to its approval 
  2.14  for general use. 
  2.15     (b) The secretary of state may license a touch-sensitive 
  2.16  direct recording electronic voting system for experimental use 
  2.17  at an election before its approval for general use, and may 
  2.18  impose restrictions on its use.  A voting system used under this 
  2.19  paragraph must permit a blind or visually impaired voter to cast 
  2.20  a ballot independently and privately. 
  2.21     (c) Experimental use must be observed by the secretary of 
  2.22  state or the secretary's designee and the results observed must 
  2.23  be considered at any subsequent proceedings for approval for 
  2.24  general use. 
  2.25     (d) The secretary of state may adopt rules consistent with 
  2.26  sections 206.55 to 206.90 relating to experimental use.  The 
  2.27  extent of experimental use must be determined by the secretary 
  2.28  of state. 
  2.29     Sec. 5.  [206.91] [VOTING EQUIPMENT DECENNIAL REPORT.] 
  2.30     By December 31 in each year ending in one, the secretary of 
  2.31  state shall file a report with the legislature regarding the 
  2.32  voting equipment used in Minnesota.  This report must: 
  2.33     (1) identify the voting equipment used in each precinct, as 
  2.34  reported to the secretary of state by each county auditor; and 
  2.35     (2) include any recommendations from the secretary 
  2.36  regarding improvements in voting system technology that may 
  3.1   require the modification or replacement of voting systems 
  3.2   currently used in Minnesota. 
  3.3      Sec. 6.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.4      (a) $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.5   secretary of state for election training of election 
  3.6   administrators. 
  3.7      (b) $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.8   secretary of state for voter outreach and voter education 
  3.9   programs. 
  3.10     (c) $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.11  voting system upgrade account in the state treasury established 
  3.12  in Minnesota Statutes, section 206.585. 
  3.13     (d) The appropriations in this section are available until 
  3.14  June 30, 2003. 
  3.15     Sec. 7.  [REPEALER.] 
  3.16     Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 204C.15, subdivision 2a, 
  3.17  is repealed. 
  3.18     Sec. 8.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.19     Section 5 is effective January 1, 2002.