Minnesota Session Laws - 2008, Regular Session

CHAPTER 263--H.F.No. 3066

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.

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

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(c) 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 provided by law established pursuant to section 202A.14, subdivision 1, and the caucuses shall remain open for at least one hour.

Presented to the governor April 30, 2008

Signed by the governor May 1, 2008, 11:14 a.m.