HF 3066

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to elections; providing for the establishment of precinct caucus dates
by the appropriate political party; requiring notice to the secretary of state;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 202A.14, subdivision 1; 202A.15,
subdivision 1.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 202A.14, subdivision 1, is amended to
read:

Subdivision 1.

Time and manner of holding; postponement.

deleted text begin At 7:00 p.m. on the
first Tuesday in March deleted text end new text begin (a) new text end In every state general election year new text begin , beginning at 7:00 p.m.
on the date established pursuant to paragraph (b), new text end there shall be held for every election
precinct a party caucus in the manner provided in sections 202A.14 to 202A.19 deleted text begin , except
that deleted text end new text begin .
new text end

new text begin (b) (1) The chairs of the two largest major political parties shall jointly submit
to the secretary of state, no later than March 1 of each odd-numbered year, the single
date on which the two parties have agreed to conduct their precinct caucuses in the next
even-numbered year.
new text end

new text begin (2) On March 1 of each odd-numbered year, the secretary of state shall publicly
announce the official state precinct caucus date for the following general election year.
new text end

new text begin (3) If the chairs of the two largest major political parties do not jointly submit a
single date for conducting their precinct caucuses as provided in this paragraph, then
for purposes of the next general election year, the first Tuesday in February shall be
considered the day of a major political party precinct caucus and sections 202A.19 and
202A.192 shall only apply on that date.
new text end

new text begin (4) For purposes of this paragraph, the two largest major political parties shall be the
parties whose candidates for governor received the greatest and second-greatest number of
votes at the most recent gubernatorial election.
new text end

new text begin (c) new text end In the event of severe weather a major political party may request the secretary of
state to postpone caucuses. If a major political party makes a request, or upon the secretary
of state's own initiative, after consultation with all major political parties and on the advice
of the federal Weather Bureau and the Department of Transportation, the secretary of state
may declare precinct caucuses to be postponed for a week in counties where weather
makes travel especially dangerous. The secretary of state shall submit a notice of the
postponement to news media covering the affected counties by 6:00 p.m. on the scheduled
day of the caucus. A postponed caucus may also be postponed pursuant to this subdivision.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 202A.15, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Time.

Precinct caucuses within a county shall be held on the day
deleted text begin provided by law deleted text end new text begin established pursuant to section 202A.14, subdivision 1, new text end and the caucuses
shall remain open for at least one hour.