1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to elections; proposing an amendment to the 
  1.3             Minnesota Constitution, article VII, section 1; 
  1.4             lowering the voting age to 17 years; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 201.014, subdivision 
  1.6             1; 201.13, subdivision 1; 201.14; 204C.10; Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 201.15, subdivision 
  1.8             1. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.] 
  1.11     An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, article VII, 
  1.12  section 1, is proposed to the people.  If the amendment is 
  1.13  adopted, the section will read: 
  1.14     Section 1.  Every person 18 17 years of age or more who has 
  1.15  been a citizen of the United States for three months and who has 
  1.16  resided in the precinct for 30 days next preceding an election 
  1.17  shall be entitled to vote in that precinct.  The place of voting 
  1.18  by one otherwise qualified who has changed his residence within 
  1.19  30 days preceding the election shall be prescribed by law.  The 
  1.20  following persons shall not be entitled or permitted to vote at 
  1.21  any election in this state:  A person not meeting the above 
  1.22  requirements; a person who has been convicted of treason or 
  1.23  felony, unless restored to civil rights; a person under 
  1.24  guardianship, or a person who is insane or not mentally 
  1.25  competent. 
  1.26     Sec. 2.  [SCHEDULE AND QUESTION.] 
  1.27     The proposed amendment shall be submitted at the 2004 
  2.1   general election.  The question proposed shall be: 
  2.2      "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to lower the 
  2.3   voting age to 17 years? 
  2.4                                      Yes .......
  2.5                                      No ........"
  2.6      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 201.014, 
  2.7   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.8      Subdivision 1.  [REQUIREMENTS.] Except as provided in 
  2.9   subdivision 2, an individual who meets the following 
  2.10  requirements at the time of an election is eligible to vote.  
  2.11  The individual must:  
  2.12     (a) Be 18 17 years of age or older; 
  2.13     (b) Be a citizen of the United States; and 
  2.14     (c) Maintain residence in Minnesota for 20 days immediately 
  2.15  preceding the election.  
  2.16     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 201.13, 
  2.17  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.18     Subdivision 1.  [COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH, REPORTS OF 
  2.19  DECEASED RESIDENTS.] The commissioner of health shall report 
  2.20  monthly to the secretary of state the name, address, date of 
  2.21  birth, and county of residence of each individual 18 17 years of 
  2.22  age or older who has died while maintaining residence in 
  2.23  Minnesota since the last previous report.  The secretary of 
  2.24  state shall determine if any of the persons listed in the report 
  2.25  are registered to vote and shall prepare a list of those 
  2.26  registrants for each county auditor.  Within 60 days after 
  2.27  receiving the list from the secretary of state, the county 
  2.28  auditor shall change the status of those registrants to 
  2.29  "deceased" in the statewide registration system. 
  2.30     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 201.14, is 
  2.31  amended to read: 
  2.32     201.14 [COURT ADMINISTRATOR OF DISTRICT COURT, REPORT 
  2.33  CHANGES OF NAMES.] 
  2.34     The court administrator of district court in each county 
  2.35  shall report monthly to the county auditor the name and address 
  2.36  of each individual, 18 17 years of age or over, who maintains 
  3.1   residence in that county and whose name was changed during the 
  3.2   month preceding the date of the report, by marriage, divorce or 
  3.3   any order or decree of the court.  Upon receipt of the report, 
  3.4   the county auditor shall notify by mail each registered voter 
  3.5   whose name was changed that it will be necessary to reregister 
  3.6   under the changed name in order to vote. 
  3.7      Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 
  3.8   201.15, subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  3.9      Subdivision 1.  [GUARDIANSHIPS AND INCOMPETENTS.] The state 
  3.10  court administrator shall report monthly to the secretary of 
  3.11  state the name, address, and date of birth of each individual 18 
  3.12  17 years of age or over, who during the month preceding the date 
  3.13  of the report:  
  3.14     (a) was placed under a guardianship of the person in which 
  3.15  the court order provides that the ward does not retain the right 
  3.16  to vote; or 
  3.17     (b) was adjudged legally incompetent. 
  3.18     The court administrator shall also report the same 
  3.19  information for each individual transferred to the jurisdiction 
  3.20  of the court who meets a condition specified in clause (a) or 
  3.21  (b).  The secretary of state shall determine if any of the 
  3.22  persons in the report is registered to vote and shall prepare a 
  3.23  list of those registrants for the county auditor.  The county 
  3.24  auditor shall change the status on the record in the statewide 
  3.25  registration system of any individual named in the report to 
  3.26  indicate that the individual is not eligible to reregister or 
  3.27  vote. 
  3.28     Sec. 7.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 204C.10, is 
  3.29  amended to read: 
  3.30     204C.10 [PERMANENT REGISTRATION; VERIFICATION OF 
  3.31  REGISTRATION.] 
  3.32     An individual seeking to vote shall sign a polling place 
  3.33  roster which states that the individual is at least 18 17 years 
  3.34  of age, a citizen of the United States, has resided in Minnesota 
  3.35  for 20 days immediately preceding the election, certifies 
  3.36  residence at the address shown, is not under guardianship of the 
  4.1   person, has not been found by a court of law to be legally 
  4.2   incompetent to vote or convicted of a felony without having 
  4.3   civil rights restored, is registered and has not already voted 
  4.4   in the election.  A judge may, before the applicant signs the 
  4.5   roster, confirm the applicant's name, address, and date of 
  4.6   birth.  After the applicant signs the roster, the judge shall 
  4.7   give the applicant a voter's receipt.  The voter shall deliver 
  4.8   the voter's receipt to the judge in charge of ballots as proof 
  4.9   of the voter's right to vote, and thereupon the judge shall hand 
  4.10  to the voter the ballot.  The voters' receipts must be 
  4.11  maintained during the time for notice of filing an election 
  4.12  contest.  
  4.13     Sec. 8.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.14     Sections 3 to 7 are effective upon adoption of the 
  4.15  constitutional amendment proposed by sections 1 and 2.