Minnesota Legislature
SF 1548
1st Engrossment - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 10/18/2023 11:25am
Current Version - 1st Engrossment
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A bill for an act
relating to elections; establishing a local election expense reimbursement account;
modifying the voting equipment grant account; requiring a report; appropriating
money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 206.95; proposing coding for
new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 204B.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
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[204B.50] LOCAL ELECTION EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT.
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(a) A local election expense reimbursement account is established in the special revenue
fund. Funds in the account are appropriated to the secretary of state to make reimbursements
to counties and municipalities as provided in this section. Funds in the account are available
until spent.
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(b) The secretary of state must reimburse counties and municipalities for expenses
incurred in the administration of elections using available funds in the local election expense
reimbursement account. The following expenses are eligible for reimbursement: preparation
and printing of ballots; postage for absentee ballots; publication of the sample ballot;
preparation of polling places in an amount not to exceed $150 per polling place; preparation
of electronic voting systems in an amount not to exceed $100 per precinct; compensation
for temporary staff or overtime payments; salaries of election judges; compensation of
county canvassing board members; and other expenses as approved by the secretary of state.
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(c) By January 31 of each odd-numbered year, the county auditor or municipal clerk
must submit a request for payment of the costs incurred by the county or municipality for
conducting elections for the previous two years. The request for payment must be submitted
to the secretary of state and must be accompanied by an itemized description of actual
county or municipal expenditures, including copies of invoices. In addition, the county
auditor or municipal clerk must certify that the request for reimbursement is based on actual
costs incurred by the county or municipality in the election.
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(d) The secretary of state must provide each county and municipality with the appropriate
forms for requesting payment and certifying expenses under this subdivision. The secretary
of state must not reimburse expenses unless the request for payment and certification of
costs has been submitted as provided in this subdivision.
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(e) The secretary of state must reimburse 80 percent of the costs submitted by each
county and municipality. If there are not sufficient funds to reimburse applicants for 80
percent of the costs submitted, the secretary of state must reduce all reimbursement
proportionally. The secretary of state must complete the issuance of reimbursements to the
counties and municipalities no later than April 1 of each odd-numbered year.
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(f) By May 1 of each odd-numbered year, the secretary of state must submit a report to
the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over elections policy on reimbursements made pursuant to this section. The report must
include the amount each jurisdiction received.
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Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 206.95, is amended to read:
206.95 VOTING EQUIPMENT new text begin AND INFRASTRUCTURE new text end GRANT ACCOUNT.
Subdivision 1.
Voting equipment new text begin and infrastructure new text end grant account.
A voting
equipment new text begin and infrastructure new text end grant account is established in the special revenue fund. Funds
in the account are appropriated to the secretary of state to provide grants to political
subdivisions as authorized by this section. Funds in the account are available until deleted text begin expendeddeleted text end new text begin
spentnew text end .
Subd. 2.
Authorized deleted text begin equipmentdeleted text end new text begin purposesnew text end .
A political subdivision may apply to receive
a grant under this section for the purchase or lease of the following:
(1) an electronic voting system, or any individual components of an electronic voting
system as provided in section 206.56, subdivision 8;
(2) assistive voting technology;
(3) an electronic roster system meeting the technology requirements of section 201.225,
subdivision 2; deleted text begin and
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(4) new text begin hardware or software for election-related purposes;
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(5) cybersecurity for election-related purposes;
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(6) security-related infrastructure for election-related purposes; and
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new text begin (7) new text end any other equipment or technology approved by the secretary of state for use in
conducting a state or local election in Minnesota consistent with the requirements of law.
Subd. 3.
Application.
(a) The secretary of state may make a grant from the account to
a political subdivision only after receiving an application from the political subdivision.
The application must contain the following information:
(1) the date the application is submitted;
(2) the name of the political subdivision;
(3) the name and title of the individual who prepared the application;
(4) new text begin if the application is for equipment described in subdivision 2, clauses 1 to 3:
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new text begin (i) new text end the type of voting system currently used in each precinct in the political subdivision;new text begin
and
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deleted text begin (5)deleted text end new text begin (ii)new text end the date the system currently used was acquired and at what cost;
deleted text begin (6)deleted text end new text begin (5)new text end the total number of registered voters, as of the date of the application, in each
precinct in the political subdivision;
deleted text begin (7)deleted text end new text begin (6)new text end the total amount of the grant requested;
deleted text begin (8)deleted text end new text begin (7)new text end the total amount and source of the political subdivision's money to be used to
match a grant from the account;
deleted text begin (9)deleted text end new text begin (8)new text end the type of deleted text begin voting systemdeleted text end new text begin equipment or infrastructurenew text end to be acquired with the
grant money andnew text begin , if the application is for a voting system,new text end whether the voting system will
permit individuals with disabilities to cast a secret ballot;
deleted text begin (10)deleted text end new text begin (9)new text end the proposed schedule for purchasing and deleted text begin implementingdeleted text end new text begin usingnew text end the new deleted text begin voting
system anddeleted text end new text begin equipment or infrastructure;
new text end
new text begin (10) where the equipment or infrastructure would be used, including, where applicable, new text end
the precincts in which the new deleted text begin voting systemdeleted text end new text begin equipment or infrastructurenew text end would be used;
(11) whether the political subdivision has previously applied for a grant from the account
and the disposition of that application;
(12) a certified statement by the political subdivision that the grant will be used only to
purchase authorized equipment new text begin or infrastructure new text end under subdivision 2 deleted text begin and that the political
subdivision has insufficient resources to purchase the voting system without obtaining a
grant from the accountdeleted text end new text begin ;
new text end
new text begin (13) a statement of why the political subdivision needs the equipment or infrastructurenew text end ;
and
deleted text begin (13)deleted text end new text begin (14)new text end any other information required by the secretary of state.
(b) The secretary of state must establish a deadline for receipt of grant applications, a
procedure for awarding and distributing grants, and a process for verifying the proper use
of the grants after distribution.
Subd. 4.
Amount of grant.
A political subdivision is eligible to receive a grant of no
more than deleted text begin 75deleted text end new text begin 80new text end percent of the total cost of deleted text begin electronic roster equipment and 50 percent of
the total cost of all other equipment or technologydeleted text end new text begin equipment or infrastructurenew text end authorized
for a grant under subdivision 2. In evaluating the application, the secretary of state shall
consider only the information set forth in the application and is not subject to chapter 14.
If the secretary of state determines that the application has been fully and properly completed,
and that there is a sufficient balance in the account to fund the grant, either in whole or in
part, the secretary of state may approve the application.
Subd. 5.
Report to legislature.
deleted text begin No later thandeleted text end new text begin Bynew text end January 15deleted text begin , 2018, and annually thereafter
until the appropriations provided for grants under this section have been exhausted,deleted text end new text begin of each
year,new text end the secretary of state must submit a report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over elections policy on grants awarded by this section. The report must detail each grant
awarded, including the jurisdiction, the amount of the grant, and the type of equipment
purchased.
Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
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(a) $....... in fiscal year 2024 and $....... in fiscal year 2025 are transferred from the general
fund to the local election expense reimbursement account in the special revenue fund
established under Minnesota Statutes, section 204B.50. The base for this transfer in fiscal
year 2026 is $........
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(b) $....... in fiscal year 2024 and $....... in fiscal year 2025 are transferred from the general
fund to the voting equipment and infrastructure grant account in the special revenue fund
established under Minnesota Statutes, section 206.95. The base for this transfer in fiscal
year 2026 is $........
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