SF 1393

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/23/2012 09:56am

A bill for an act
relating to elections; prohibiting certain individuals from marking a ballot for a
voter; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 204C.15, subdivision 1.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 204C.15, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Physical assistance in marking ballots.

A voter who claims a
need for assistance because of inability to read English or physical inability to mark
a ballot may obtain the aid of two election judges who are members of different major
political parties. The election judges shall mark the ballots as directed by the voter and in
as secret a manner as circumstances permit. If the voter is deaf or cannot speak English or
understand it when it is spoken, the election judges may select two individuals who are
members of different major political parties to provide assistance. The individuals shall
assist the voter in marking the ballots. A voter in need of assistance may alternatively
obtain the assistance of any individual the voter chooses. Only the following persons
may not provide assistance to a voter: the voter's employer, an agent of the voter's
employer, an officer or agent of the voter's union, new text begin a paid individual providing health care
or health-related personal assistance to the voter, new text end or a candidate for election. The person
who assists the voter shall, unaccompanied by an election judge, retire with that voter to a
booth and mark the ballot as directed by the voter. No person who assists another voter
as provided in the preceding sentence shall mark the ballots of more than three voters at
one election. Before the ballots are deposited, the voter may show them privately to an
election judge to ascertain that they are marked as the voter directed. An election judge
or other individual assisting a voter shall not in any manner request, persuade, induce,
or attempt to persuade or induce the voter to vote for any particular political party or
candidate. The election judges or other individuals who assist the voter shall not reveal
to anyone the name of any candidate for whom the voter has voted or anything that took
place while assisting the voter.