HF 5483

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 05/19/2024 01:22pm

A bill for an act
relating to elections; modifying penalties related to the solicitation, collection,
acceptance, or delivery of certain absentee ballots or absentee ballot applications;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 203B.03, as amended.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 203B.03, as amended by Laws 2023, chapter
62, article 4, sections 32 and 33, is amended to read:

203B.03 PROHIBITIONS; PENALTIES.

Subdivision 1.

Violation.

(a) No individual shall intentionally:

(1) make or sign any false certificate required by this chapter;

(2) make any false or untrue statement in any application for absentee ballots;

(3) apply for absentee ballots more than once in any election with the intent to cast an
illegal ballot;

(4) exhibit a ballot marked by that individual to any other individual;

(5) do any act in violation of the provisions of this chapter for the purpose of casting an
illegal vote in any precinct or for the purpose of aiding another to cast an illegal vote;

(6) use information from absentee ballot or early voting materials or records for purposes
unrelated to elections, political activities, or law enforcement;

(7) provide assistance to an absentee or early voter except in the manner provided by
section 204C.15, subdivision 1;

(8) solicit the vote of an absentee voter while in the immediate presence of the voter
during the time the individual knows the absentee voter is voting; deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(9) alter an absentee ballot application after it has been signed by the voter, except by
an election official for administrative purposes new text begin ; or
new text end

new text begin (10) solicit, collect, accept, or deliver absentee ballots as a voter's agent in excess of the
number permitted by section 203B.08, subdivision 1, including but not limited to soliciting,
collecting, or accepting an absentee ballot for the purpose of delivering it to an absentee
ballot drop box new text end .

(b) Before inspecting information from absentee ballot or early voting materials or
records, an individual shall provide identification to the public official having custody of
the material or information.

Subd. 1a.

Prohibited methods of compensation.

(a) No individual may be compensated
for the solicitation, collection, deleted text begin or deleted text end acceptance new text begin , or delivery new text end of new text begin absentee ballots or new text end absentee
ballot applications from voters for submission to the county auditor or other local election
official in a manner in which payment is calculated by multiplying (1) either a set or variable
payment rate, by (2) the number of applications solicited, collected, or accepted.

(b) No individual may be deprived of compensation or have compensation automatically
reduced exclusively for failure to solicit, collect, deleted text begin or deleted text end accept new text begin , or deliver new text end a minimum number
of new text begin absentee ballots or new text end absentee ballot applications.

(c) No individual may receive additional compensation for collecting new text begin or delivering new text end a
certain number of new text begin absentee ballots or new text end absentee ballot applications.

deleted text begin (d) Violation of this subdivision is a petty misdemeanor.
deleted text end

Subd. 2.

Penalty.

A violation of this section is a felony.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end