HF 3602

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/20/2020 01:17pm

A bill for an act
relating to elections; authorizing write-in votes at the presidential nomination
primary; permitting certain candidates to request that their write-in votes be counted;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 207A.13.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 207A.13, is amended to read:

207A.13 FORM OF BALLOTS; CANDIDATES ON BALLOT.

Subdivision 1.

Form.

(a) Except as provided by law, presidential nomination primary
ballots shall be printed in the same manner as state primary ballots as far as practicable. A
sufficient number of each ballot shall be printed for each precinct and ward in the state.

(b) There must be separate ballots for the names of the candidates of each political party.
Each ballot must be headed by the words "Presidential Nomination Primary Ballot." The
heading must also indicate the party that appears on the ballot.

(c) If requested by a party chair, the ballot for that party must contain a place for a voter
to indicate a preference for having delegates to the party's national convention remain
uncommitted. deleted text begin If requested by a party chair, the ballot for that party must contain a blank
line printed below the other choices on the ballot so that a voter may write in the name of
a person who is not listed on the ballot. deleted text end A request under this paragraph must be submitted
to the secretary of state no later than 63 days before the presidential nomination primary.

Subd. 2.

Candidates on the ballot.

(a) Each party must determine which candidates are
to be placed on the presidential nomination primary ballot for that party. The chair of each
party must submit to the secretary of state the names of the candidates to appear on the
ballot for that party no later than 63 days before the presidential nomination primary. Once
submitted, changes must not be made to the candidates that will appear on the ballot.

(b) new text begin The ballot for each party must contain a blank line printed below the other choices
on the ballot so that a voter may write in the name of a person who is not listed on the ballot.
A request that a write-in candidate be counted may be submitted to the secretary of state
by the party chair or by any individual seeking nomination by that party as a write-in
candidate new text end no later than the seventh day before the presidential nomination primary deleted text begin , the chair
of each party must submit to the secretary of state the names of write-in candidates, if any,
to be counted for that party deleted text end . new text begin The final canvass of the presidential nomination primary must
include the vote total for any write-in candidate whose name is qualified by request under
this paragraph.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment and
applies to presidential nomination primaries conducted on or after that date.
new text end