1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to elections; changing certain requirements for elections;amending 
1.3 	Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 204B.19, subdivision 2; 204B.21, subdivisions 
1.4 	1, 2; 204B.45, subdivision 1; 204B.46; 205.075, subdivision 1, by adding a 
1.5 	subdivision; 367.03, subdivision 4, by adding a subdivision.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 204B.19, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.8 		Subd. 2.Individuals not qualified to be election judges.  (a) Except as provided in 
1.9 	paragraph (b), no individual shall be appointed as an election judge for any precinct if 
1.10 	that individual:
1.11 	(a) (1) is unable to read, write, or speak the English language;
1.12 	(b) (2) is the spouse, parent, child, including a stepchild,  or sibling, including a 
1.13 	stepsibling,  of any election judge serving in the same precinct or of any candidate at 
1.14 	that election; or
1.15 	(c) (3) is a candidate at that election.
1.16 	(b) Individuals who are related to each other as provided in paragraph (a), clause (2), 
1.17 	may serve as election judges in the same precinct, provided that they serve on separate 
1.18 	shifts that do not run concurrently.

1.19 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 204B.21, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.20 		Subdivision 1. Appointment lists; duties of political parties and county auditor
1.21 	secretary of state. On June 1 in a year in which there is an election for a partisan political 
1.22 	office, the county or legislative district chairs of each major political party, whichever 
1.23 	is designated by the state party, shall prepare a list of eligible voters to act as election 
1.24 	judges in each election precinct in the county or legislative district. The chairs political 
2.1 	parties  shall furnish the lists electronically to the county auditor of the county in which 
2.2 	the precinct is located secretary of state, in a format specified by the secretary of state. 
2.3 	The secretary of state must combine the data received from each political party under this 
2.4 	subdivision and must process the data to locate the precinct in which the address provided 
2.5 	for each potential election judge is located. If the data submitted by a political party is 
2.6 	insufficient for the secretary of state to locate the proper precinct, the associated name 
2.7 	must not appear in any list forwarded to an appointing authority under this subdivision. 
2.8 	The secretary of state shall notify political parties of any proposed election judges with 
2.9 	addresses that could not be located in a precinct. 
2.10 	By June 15, the county auditor secretary of state  shall furnish electronically to the 
2.11 	appointing authorities county auditor  a list of the appropriate names for each election 
2.12 	precinct in the jurisdiction of the appointing authority. Separate lists shall be submitted by 
2.13 	the county auditor for each major political party, noting the political party affiliation of 
2.14 	each individual on the list. The county auditor must promptly forward the appropriate 
2.15 	names to the appropriate municipal clerk. 

2.16 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 204B.21, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.17 		Subd. 2. Appointing authority; powers and duties. Election judges for precincts 
2.18 	in a municipality shall be appointed by the governing body of the municipality. Election 
2.19 	judges for precincts in unorganized territory and for performing election-related duties 
2.20 	assigned by the county auditor shall be appointed by the county board. Election judges for 
2.21 	a precinct composed of two or more municipalities must be appointed by the governing 
2.22 	body of the municipality or municipalities responsible for appointing election judges as 
2.23 	provided in the agreement to combine for election purposes. Except as otherwise provided 
2.24 	in this section, appointments shall be made from lists furnished pursuant to subdivision 1 
2.25 	subject to the eligibility requirements and other qualifications established or authorized 
2.26 	under section 204B.19. At least two election judges in each precinct must be affiliated with 
2.27 	different major political parties. If no lists have been furnished or if additional election 
2.28 	judges are required after all listed names in that municipality have been exhausted, the 
2.29 	appointing authority may appoint other individuals who meet the qualifications to serve as 
2.30 	an election judge, including persons who are not affiliated with a major political party. 
2.31 	The appointments shall be made at least 25 days before the election at which the election 
2.32 	judges will serve, except that the appointing authority may pass a resolution authorizing 
2.33 	the appointment of additional election judges within the 25 days before the election if the 
2.34 	appointing authority determines that additional election judges will be required. 

3.13 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 204B.46, is amended to read:
3.14 	204B.46 MAIL ELECTIONS; QUESTIONS. 
3.15 	A county, municipality, or school district submitting questions to the voters at a 
3.16 	special election may conduct an election by mail with no polling place other than the 
3.17 	office of the auditor or clerk. No more than two questions may be submitted at a mail 
3.18 	election and no offices may be voted on. Notice of the election must be given to the county 
3.19 	auditor at least 53 days prior to the election. This notice shall also fulfill the requirements 
3.20 	of Minnesota Rules, part 8210.3000. The special mail ballot procedures must be posted at 
3.21 	least six weeks prior to the election. No earlier Not more than 20 or 30 nor later than 14 
3.22 	days prior to the election, the auditor or clerk shall mail ballots by nonforwardable mail to 
3.23 	all voters registered in the county, municipality, or school district.  No later than 14 days 
3.24 	before the election, the auditor or clerk must make a subsequent mailing of ballots to those 
3.25 	voters who register to vote after the initial mailing but before the 20th day before the 
3.26 	election. Eligible voters not registered at the time the ballots are mailed may apply for 
3.27 	ballots pursuant to chapter 203B.

3.28 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 205.075, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
3.29 		Subdivision 1.Date of election. The general election in a town must be held on the 
3.30 	second Tuesday in March, except as provided in subdivision 2 or when moved for bad 
3.31 	weather as provided in section 365.51, subdivision 1.

3.32 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 205.075, is amended by adding a subdivision 
3.33 	to read:
4.1 		Subd. 2a.Return to March election. The town board of a town that has adopted 
4.2 	the alternative November election date under subdivision 2 may, after having conducted 
4.3 	at least two elections on the alternative date, adopt a resolution designating the second 
4.4 	Tuesday in March as the date of the town general election. The resolution must be 
4.5 	adopted by a unanimous vote of the town supervisors and must include a plan to shorten 
4.6 	or lengthen the terms of office to provide an orderly transition to the March election 
4.7 	schedule. The resolution becomes effective upon an affirmative vote of the electors at 
4.8 	the next town general election.

4.9 	Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 367.03, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
4.10 		Subd. 4.Officers; November election. Except as provided in subdivision 4a, 
4.11 	supervisors and other town officers in towns that hold the town general election in 
4.12 	November shall be elected for terms of four years commencing on the first Monday in 
4.13 	January and until their successors are elected and qualified. The clerk and treasurer shall 
4.14 	be elected in alternate years.

4.15 	Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 367.03, is amended by adding a subdivision 
4.16 	to read:
4.17 		Subd. 4a.Optional six-year terms. The resolution required under section 205.075, 
4.18 	subdivision 2, to adopt the alternative November date for town general election may 
4.19 	include the proposal and corresponding transition plan to provide for a six-year term for 
4.20 	town supervisors. A town that has adopted the alternative November date for general town 
4.21 	elections using the four-year terms provided under subdivision 4 may adopt a resolution 
4.22 	establishing six-year terms for supervisors as provided under this subdivision. The 
4.23 	resolution must include a plan to provide an orderly transition to six-year terms. The 
4.24 	resolution adopting the six-year term for town supervisors may be proposed by the town 
4.25 	board or by a resolution of the electors adopted at the annual town meeting and is effective 
4.26 	upon an affirmative vote of the electors at the next town general election.