HF 622

1st Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to elections; providing for equal treatment
of voters; appropriating money; proposing coding for
new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 204B; 206.

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

ARTICLE 1

STATEWIDE POLICY

Section 1.

new text begin [204B.475] EQUAL TREATMENT OF VOTERS.
new text end

new text begin After December 31, 2005, each polling place in Minnesota
must have voting equipment that treats every voter in the state
equally by permitting every voter to vote independently and
privately, and to detect errors and change their votes before
their ballot is cast and counted.
new text end

ARTICLE 2

EQUIPMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Section 1.

new text begin [206.585] STATE VOTING SYSTEMS CONTRACT.
new text end

new text begin The secretary of state shall establish a state assistive
voting systems contract for purchases of voting systems
compliant with Section 301(a)(3) of the Help America Vote Act,
Public Law 107-252, and sections 206.57, subdivision 5, and
206.80. The contract should, if practical, include provisions
for maintenance of the equipment purchased. Counties and
municipalities may only purchase or lease assistive voting
systems and obtain related election services from the state
contract.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Assistive voting equipment. new text end

new text begin $16,000,000
is appropriated from the Help America Vote Act account to the
secretary of state for grants to counties to purchase electronic
voting systems equipped for individuals with disabilities that
meet the requirements of Section 301(a)(3) of the Help America
Vote Act, Public Law 107-252, and Minnesota Statutes, sections
206.57, subdivision 5, and 206.80, and have been certified by
the secretary of state under Minnesota Statutes, section 206.57.
Precincts that share a polling place with other precincts
pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 204B.14, subdivision 4,
may share the assistive voting equipment. Notwithstanding
Minnesota Statutes, section 204B.14, upon written request to and
approval of the secretary of state, the responsible municipal
clerks may combine an unlimited number of noncontiguous
precincts located in one or more counties into one polling place
which may be located anywhere. To the extent that an election
includes offices for more than one jurisdiction, operating costs
are to be allocated among those jurisdictions.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Assistive voting system operating costs. new text end

new text begin (a)
"Operating costs" include actual county and municipal costs for
hardware maintenance, election day technical support, software
licensing, voting system testing, training of county or
municipal staff in the use of the assistive voting system,
transportation of the assistive voting systems to and from the
polling places, and storage of the assistive voting systems
between elections.
new text end

new text begin (b) $3,000,000 is appropriated to the secretary of state
for grants to counties to defray the operating costs of the
assistive voting equipment. Each county may submit a request
for no more than $450 per polling place per biennium until the
appropriation is exhausted.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Availability. new text end

new text begin The appropriations in this
section are available until June 30, 2009.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

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