Minnesota Session Laws - 1983, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1983 

                        CHAPTER 124--H.F.No. 513
           An act relating to elections; changing certain 
          registration procedures; requiring availability of 
          certain public facilities as polling places; changing 
          requirements that voting machines remain locked after 
          elections; amending Minnesota Statutes 1982, sections 
          201.071, subdivisions 1, 3, and 6; 204B.16, by adding 
          a subdivision; and 206.21, subdivision 3; repealing 
          Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 201.071, subdivision 
          7. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 201.071, 
subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
    Subdivision 1.  [FORM.] Registration cards shall be of 
suitable size and weight for mailing, and shall contain the 
following information in substantially the following form: 
   
                 VOTER REGISTRATION CARD
                 (Please print or type)
        Date:......................
    1.  Name:............................................
             Last              First       Middle Initial
    2.  Address:.........................................
                Street or Route No.
                .........................................
                City (or Township)     County        Zip
    3.  Telephone Number:
    4.  Date of birth (optional):..........
    5.  Last registration if any.....................
                             Street or Route Number
        ...... None          ............................
                             City (or Township)     Zip
    6.  I certify that I will be at least 18 years
        old on election day and that the above facts 
        are correct am a citizen of the United States, 
        that I reside at the address shown and will 
        have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately 
        preceding election day, and that I am not 
        under guardianship of the person, have not 
        been found by a court to be legally 
        incompetent to vote, and have not been 
        convicted of a felony without having my 
        civil rights restored.  I understand that 
        giving false information to procure a 
        registration is a felony punishable by 
        not more than five years imprisonment and 
        a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.
                               .......................
                                 Signature of Voter
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 201.071, 
subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 3.  [DEFICIENT REGISTRATION.] No registration is 
deficient if it contains the voter's name, address, date of 
birth, prior registration if any and signature.  The absence of 
a zip code number does not cause the registration to be 
deficient.  The election judges shall request an individual to 
correct a registration card if it is deficient or illegible.  No 
eligible voter may be prevented from voting unless his 
registration card is deficient or he is duly and successfully 
challenged in accordance with sections 201.195 or 204C.12. 
    A registration card accepted prior to August 1, 1983, is 
not deficient for lack of date of birth.  The county or 
municipality may attempt to obtain the date of birth for a 
registration card accepted prior to August 1, 1983, by a request 
to the voter at any time except at the polling place.  Failure 
by the voter to comply with this request does not make the card 
deficient.  
     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 201.071, 
subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 6.  [MAINTENANCE OF DUPLICATE REGISTRATION FILE.] A 
county or municipality which makes the election authorized in 
subdivision 5 shall maintain in their data processing system the 
information required by the alternate form of the duplicate 
registration file prescribed by the secretary of state under 
section 201.221, subdivision 3.  A county or municipality which 
makes the election shall not be required to obtain or maintain a 
duplicate voter registration card.  Any reference in chapter 201 
to "duplicate registration file" shall not be interpreted as 
requiring duplicate registration cards or signatures on 
duplicate registration cards.  
     A county or municipality which makes the election 
authorized in subdivision 5 shall make the prescribed duplicate 
registration file available as authorized in section 201.091. 
No list made available for examination or purchase may include 
the date of birth of a registered voter.  
    Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 204B.16, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read:  
    Subd. 6.  [PUBLIC FACILITIES.] Every statutory city, home 
rule charter city, county, town, school district, and other 
public agency, including the University of Minnesota and other 
public colleges and universities, shall make their facilities, 
including parking, available for the holding of city, county, 
state, and federal elections.  A charge for the use of the 
facilities may be imposed in an amount that does not exceed the 
lowest amount charged to any public or private group.  
     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 206.21, 
subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 3.  [OPENING OF MACHINES.] The voting machines shall 
remain locked against use for a period of at least 30 days and 
as much longer as may be necessary or advisable because of any 
existing or threatened contest over the result of the election, 
except that at any time, upon the order of any judge of a court 
having jurisdiction any voting machine may be opened and all 
data and figures therein examined;  provided, that any voting 
machines used at an election may be opened ten days following 
such election for an election which is to be held on a day which 
is within 50 days after the day upon which such election is 
held; provided, further, that any voting machine used at a 
primary, or a state general election, in a statutory city may be 
opened ten days following such primary and 20 days following 
such state general election if such opening becomes necessary in 
order to prepare the voting machines so used at such primary or 
state general election for a statutory city election which is to 
be held on a day which is within 30 days after the day upon 
which such primary or state general election is held until all 
automatic recounts have been verified by the appropriate 
election office and the time for filing a contest of election 
has passed.  When a contest of election has been filed, the 
voting machines shall remain locked until the voting machine 
count has been verified in accordance with the orders of the 
appropriate court. 
     Sec. 6.  [REPEALER.] 
     Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 201.071, subdivision 7, is 
repealed. 
    Approved May 10, 1983