Office of the Revisor of Statutes
SF 1557
Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)
Posted on 02/25/2025 09:02 a.m.
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Introduction
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A bill for an act
proposing a constitutional amendment to article VII, section 1; allowing school
districts to lower the voting age to 16 for school elections; making conforming
changes; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 201.014, subdivision 1;
201.071, subdivision 1; 203B.21, subdivision 3; 204C.10; proposing coding for
new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 201.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
ARTICLE 1
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Section 1. new text begin CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED.
new text end
new text begin
An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to the people. If the amendment
is adopted, article VII, section 1, will read:
new text end
Section 1.
Every person 18 years of age or more who has been a citizen of the United
States for three months and who has resided in the precinct for 30 days next preceding an
election shall be entitled to vote in that precinct. new text begin A school district may lower the voting age
to 16 years of age for school elections but must not amend any other voter eligibility
requirements. new text end The place of voting by one otherwise qualified who has changed his residence
within 30 days preceding the election shall be prescribed by law. The following persons
shall not be entitled or permitted to vote at any election in this state: A person not meeting
the above requirements; a person who has been convicted of treason or felony, unless restored
to civil rights; a person under guardianship, or a person who is insane or not mentally
competent.
Sec. 2. new text begin SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.
new text end
new text begin
The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at the 2026 general election.
The question submitted must be:
new text end
new text begin
"Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to allow school districts to lower the
voting age to 16 years of age for school elections?
new text end
|
new text begin
Yes
.
new text end |
||
|
new text begin
No
.
new text end |
new text begin
" new text end |
ARTICLE 2
CONFORMING CHANGES
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 201.014, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1.
Requirements.
Except as provided in subdivision 2, an individual who
meets the following requirements at the time of an election is eligible to vote. The individual
must:
(1) be 18 years of age or oldernew text begin or be 16 years of age or older to vote in a school election
as provided in section 201.017new text end ;
(2) be a citizen of the United States; and
(3) maintain residence in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding the election.
Sec. 2.
new text begin
[201.017] VOTING AGE FOR SCHOOL ELECTIONS.
new text end
new text begin
The governing body of a school district may adopt a resolution that allows a person 16
years old on or before election day to vote in elections held by the jurisdiction that adopted
the resolution. The voter must satisfy all other voter eligibility requirements. A person under
the age of 18 may only vote for offices and ballot questions for the jurisdiction that has
adopted the lower voting age. A person under the age of 18 must not be allowed to vote for
any state or federal office or state ballot question. The ballot provided to an individual
authorized to vote under this section must be prepared so that the individual may vote only
for school offices or questions where the voter is authorized to vote.
new text end
Sec. 3.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 201.071, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1.
Form.
Both paper and electronic voter registration applications must
contain the same information unless otherwise provided by law. A voter registration
application must contain spaces for the following required information: voter's first name,
middle name, and last name; voter's previous name, if any; voter's current address; voter's
previous address, if any; voter's date of birth; voter's municipality and county of residence;
voter's telephone number, if provided by the voter; date of registration; current and valid
Minnesota driver's license number or Minnesota state identification number, or if the voter
has no current and valid Minnesota driver's license or Minnesota state identification, the
last four digits of the voter's Social Security number; a box to indicate a voter's preference
to join the permanent absentee voter list; and voter's signature. The paper registration
application must provide a space for a voter to provide a physical description of the location
of their residence, if the voter resides in an area lacking a specific physical address. The
description must be sufficient for the county auditor to identify the correct precinct for the
voter. The description may include the closest cross street or the nearest address to the
described location that is identified on a precinct map, and directions from that cross street
or address to the described location, including but not limited to the cardinal direction and
approximate distance to the location. The paper registration application may include the
voter's email address, if provided by the voter. The electronic voter registration application
must include the voter's email address. The registration application may include the voter's
interest in serving as an election judge, if indicated by the voter. The application must also
contain the following certification of voter eligibility:
"I certify that I:
(1) am at least 16 years old and understand that I must be at least 18 years old to be
eligible to votenew text begin , except that I am eligible to vote in a school election in a school district that
has authorized 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school electionsnew text end ;
(2) am a citizen of the United States;
(3) will have maintained residence in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding
election day;
(4) maintain residence at the address or location given on the registration form;
(5) am not under court-ordered guardianship in which the court order revokes my right
to vote;
(6) have not been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote;
(7) am not currently incarcerated for a conviction of a felony offense; and
(8) have read and understand the following statement: that giving false information is a
felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment or a fine of not more than
$10,000, or both."
The certification must include boxes for the voter to respond to the following questions:
"(1) Are you a citizen of the United States?" and
"(2) Are you at least 16 years old and will you be at least 18 years old on or before the
day of the election in which you intend to votenew text begin ; or are you at least 16 years old and will you
be voting in a school election in a school district that has authorized 16- and 17-year olds
to vote in a school electionnew text end ?"
And the instruction:
"If you checked 'no' to either of these questions, do not complete this form."
The form of the voter registration application and the certification of voter eligibility
must be as provided in this subdivision and approved by the secretary of state. Voter
registration forms authorized by the National Voter Registration Act must also be accepted
as valid. The federal postcard application form must also be accepted as valid if it is not
deficient and the voter is eligible to register in Minnesota.
An individual may use a voter registration application to apply to register to vote in
Minnesota or to change information on an existing registration.
Sec. 4.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 203B.21, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
Subd. 3.
Back of signature envelope.
On the back of the signature envelope a certificate
shall appear with space for:
(1) the voter's address of present or former residence in Minnesota;
(2) the voter's current email address, if the voter has one;
(3) a statement indicating the category described in section 203B.16 to which the voter
belongs;
(4) a statement that the voter has not cast and will not cast another absentee ballot in the
same election or elections;
(5) a statement that the voter personally marked the ballots without showing them to
anyone, or if physically unable to mark them, that the voter directed another individual to
mark them; and
(6) the same voter's passport number, Minnesota driver's license or state identification
card number, or the last four digits of the voter's Social Security number as provided on the
absentee ballot application; if the voter does not have access to any of these documents, the
voter may attest to the truthfulness of the contents of the certificate under penalty of perjury.
The certificate shall also contain a signed oath in the form required by section 705 of
the Help America Vote Act, Public Law 107-252, which must read:
"I swear or affirm, under penalty of perjury, that:
I am a member of the uniformed services or merchant marine on active duty or an eligible
spouse or dependent of such a memberdeleted text begin ;deleted text end new text begin ,new text end a United States citizen temporarily residing outside
the United Statesdeleted text begin ;deleted text end new text begin ,new text end or other United States citizen residing outside the United States; and I
am a United States citizen,new text begin I am or will benew text end at least 18 years of age deleted text begin (or will be by the date of
the election)deleted text end new text begin on or before election daynew text end new text begin or I am or will be at least 16 years of age on or before
election day to vote in a school election as provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 201.017new text end ,
and I am eligible to vote in the requested jurisdiction; I have not been convicted of a felony,
or other disqualifying offense, or been adjudicated mentally incompetent, or, if so, my voting
rights have been reinstated; and I am not registering, requesting a ballot, or voting in any
other jurisdiction in the United States except the jurisdiction cited in this voting form. In
voting, I have marked and sealed my ballot in private and have not allowed any person to
observe the marking of the ballot, except for those authorized to assist voters under state or
federal law. I have not been influenced.
The information on this form is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge.
I understand that a material misstatement of fact in completion of this document may
constitute grounds for a conviction for perjury."
Sec. 5.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 204C.10, is amended to read:
204C.10 POLLING PLACE ROSTER; VOTER SIGNATURE CERTIFICATE;
VOTER RECEIPT.
(a) An individual seeking to vote shall sign a polling place roster or voter signature
certificate which states that the individual:
(1) is at least 18 years oldnew text begin or at least 16 years old on or before election day to vote in a
school election as provided in section 201.017new text end ;
(2) is a citizen of the United States;
(3) has maintained residence in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding the election;
(4) maintains residence at the address shown;
(5) is not under a guardianship in which the court order revokes the individual's right to
vote;
(6) has not been found by a court of law to be legally incompetent to vote;
(7) has the right to vote because, if the individual was convicted of a felony, the individual
is not currently incarcerated for that conviction;
(8) is registered; and
(9) has not already voted in the election.
The roster must also state: "I understand that deliberately providing false information
is a felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment and a fine of not more than
$10,000, or both."
(b) At the presidential nomination primary, the polling place roster must also state: "I
am in general agreement with the principles of the party for whose candidate I intend to
vote." This statement must appear separately from the statements required in paragraph (a).
The felony penalty provided for in paragraph (a) does not apply to this paragraph.
(c) A judge may, before the applicant signs the roster or voter signature certificate,
confirm the applicant's name, address, and date of birth.
(d) After the applicant signs the roster or voter signature certificate, the judge shall give
the applicant a voter's receipt. The voter shall deliver the voter's receipt to the judge in
charge of ballots as proof of the voter's right to vote, and thereupon the judge shall hand to
the voter the ballot. The voters' receipts must be maintained during the time for notice of
filing an election contest.
(e) Whenever a challenged status appears on the polling place roster, an election judge
must ensure that the challenge is concealed or hidden from the view of any voter other than
the voter whose status is challenged.
Sec. 6. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end
new text begin
This article is effective January 1, 2027, if the constitutional amendment in article 1 is
approved by the voters at the 2026 general election and applies to school elections held on
or after that date.
new text end