SF 3360

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

A bill for an act
relating to elections; regulating interpreter services; modifying certain
requirements for communicatively impaired individuals; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2004, sections 202A.155; 204C.15, subdivision 1.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 202A.155, is amended to read:

202A.155 INTERPRETER SERVICES; CAUCUS MATERIALS.

A communicatively impaired individual who needs interpreter services at a precinct
caucus shall so notify the major political party whose caucus the individual plans to
attend. deleted text begin Written deleted text end Notice must be given by deleted text begin certified deleted text end new text begin letter or electronic new text end mail to the deleted text begin county
or legislative district committee deleted text end new text begin state office new text end of the new text begin major new text end political party deleted text begin at least 30 days deleted text end
before the precinct caucus date. The major political party deleted text begin , not later than 14 days before
the precinct caucus date, deleted text end shall new text begin promptly attempt to new text end secure the services of one or more
interpreters if available and shall assume responsibility for the cost of the services new text begin if
provided new text end . The state central committee of the major political party shall determine the
process for reimbursing interpreters.

A visually impaired individual may notify the county or legislative district
committee of the major political party whose precinct caucus the individual plans to
attend, that the individual requires caucus materials in audio tape, Braille, or large type
format. Upon receiving the request, the county or legislative district committee shall
provide all official written caucus materials as soon as they are available, so that the
visually impaired individual may have them converted to audio tape, Braille, or large
print format prior to the precinct caucus.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 204C.15, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Interpreters; 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 deleted text begin act as interpreters deleted text end new text begin provide
assistance new text end . The interpreters shall assist the individual 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, 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.