HF 471

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/17/2020 04:37pm

A bill for an act
relating to elections; allowing school boards to give school credit for serving as a
trainee election judge; requiring appointing authorities to recruit bilingual high
school students to serve as trainee election judges; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2018, sections 204B.19, subdivision 6; 204B.21, subdivision
2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 204B.19, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

High school students.

Notwithstanding any other requirements of this section,
a student enrolled in a high school in Minnesota or who is in a home school in compliance
with sections 120A.22 and 120A.24, who has attained the age of 16 is eligible to be appointed
as a deleted text begin without party affiliation deleted text end trainee election judge new text begin , without party affiliation, new text end in the county
in which the student resides, or a county adjacent to the county in which the student resides.
The student must meet qualifications for trainee election judges specified in rules of the
secretary of state. A student appointed as a trainee election judge may be excused from
school attendance during the hours that the student is serving as a trainee election judge if
the student submits a written request signed and approved by the student's parent or guardian
to be absent from school and a certificate from the appointing authority stating the hours
during which the student will serve as a trainee election judge to the principal of the school
at least ten days prior to the election. Students shall not serve as trainee election judges after
10:00 p.m. Notwithstanding section 177.24 to the contrary, trainee election judges may be
paid not less than two-thirds of the minimum wage for a large employer. The principal of
the school may approve a request to be absent from school conditioned on acceptable
academic performance at the time of service as a trainee election judge. new text begin A school board
may determine that students are eligible to receive credit for serving as a trainee election
judge.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 204B.21, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Appointing authority; powers and duties.

new text begin (a) new text end Election judges for precincts
in a municipality shall be appointed by the governing body of the municipality. Election
judges for precincts in unorganized territory and for performing election-related duties
assigned by the county auditor shall be appointed by the county board. Election judges for
a precinct composed of two or more municipalities must be appointed by the governing
body of the municipality or municipalities responsible for appointing election judges as
provided in the agreement to combine for election purposes.

new text begin (b) new text end Except as otherwise provided in this section, appointments shall be made from the
list of voters who reside in each precinct, furnished pursuant to subdivision 1, subject to the
eligibility requirements and other qualifications established or authorized under section
204B.19. At least two election judges in each precinct must be affiliated with different major
political parties.

new text begin (c) new text end If no lists have been furnished or if additional election judges are required after all
listed names in that municipality have been exhausted, the appointing authority may appoint
other individuals who meet the qualifications to serve as an election judge, including persons
on the list furnished pursuant to subdivision 1 who indicated a willingness to travel to the
municipality, and persons who are not affiliated with a major political party. An individual
who is appointed from a source other than the list furnished pursuant to subdivision 1 must
provide to the appointing authority the individual's major political party affiliation or a
statement that the individual does not affiliate with any major political party. An individual
who refuses to provide the individual's major political party affiliation or a statement that
the individual does not affiliate with a major political party must not be appointed as an
election judge.

new text begin (d) The appointing authority must, whenever possible, recruit bilingual high school
students to serve as trainee election judges pursuant to section 204B.19.
new text end

new text begin (e) new text end The appointments shall be made at least 25 days before the election at which the
election judges will serve, except that the appointing authority may pass a resolution
authorizing the appointment of additional election judges within the 25 days before the
election if the appointing authority determines that additional election judges will be required.

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $500,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the secretary of
state for grants to political subdivisions to recruit bilingual election judges and bilingual
trainee election judges. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, this
appropriation is available until June 30, 2021.
new text end