Minnesota Session Laws - 2012, Regular Session

CHAPTER 250--S.F.No. 2296

An act

relating to elections; modifying certificate on absentee ballot envelopes; prohibiting certain activities of a political party; modifying presidential elector nomination procedures;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 203B.21, subdivision 3; 208.03; 211B.10, by adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 203B.21, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Back of return envelope.

On the back of the return envelope a certificate shall appear with space for:

(1) the voter's address of present or former residence in Minnesota;

(2) the voter's current e-mail address, if the voter has one;

(3) a statement indicating the category described in section 203B.16 to which the voter belongs;

(4) a statement that the voter has not cast and will not cast another absentee ballot in the same election or elections;

(5) a statement that the voter personally marked the ballots without showing them to anyone, or if physically unable to mark them, that the voter directed another individual to mark them; and

(6) the same voter's passport number, Minnesota driver's license or state identification card number, or the last four digits of the voter's Social Security number as provided on the absentee ballot application; if the voter does not have access to any of these documents, the voter may attest to the truthfulness of the contents of the certificate under penalty of perjury.

The certificate shall also contain a signed deleted text begin and dated deleted text end oath in the form required by section 705 of the Help America Vote Act, Public Law 107-252, which must read:

"I swear or affirm, under penalty of perjury, that:

I am a member of the uniformed services or merchant marine on active duty or an eligible spouse or dependent of such a member; a United States citizen temporarily residing outside the United States; or other United States citizen residing outside the United States; and I am a United States citizen, at least 18 years of age (or will be by the date of the election), and I am eligible to vote in the requested jurisdiction; I have not been convicted of a felony, or other disqualifying offense, or been adjudicated mentally incompetent, or, if so, my voting rights have been reinstated; and I am not registering, requesting a ballot, or voting in any other jurisdiction in the United States except the jurisdiction cited in this voting form. In voting, I have marked and sealed my ballot in private and have not allowed any person to observe the marking of the ballot, except for those authorized to assist voters under state or federal law. I have not been influenced.

deleted text begin My signature and date below indicate when I completed this document. deleted text end

The information on this form is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that a material misstatement of fact in completion of this document may constitute grounds for a conviction for perjury."

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective June 29, 2012. new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 208.03, is amended to read:

208.03 NOMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.

Presidential electors for the major political parties of this state shall be nominated by delegate conventions called and held under the supervision of the respective state central committees of the parties of this state. At least deleted text begin 77 deleted text end new text begin 71 new text end days before the general election day the chair of the major political party shall certify to the secretary of state the names of the persons nominated as presidential electors, the names of eight alternate presidential electors, and the names of the party candidates for president and vice president. The chair shall also certify that the party candidates for president and vice president have no affidavit on file as a candidate for any office in this state at the ensuing general election.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 211B.10, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 1a. new text end

new text begin Prohibited activities of a political party. new text end

new text begin A political party unit may not, through imposition or threatened imposition of any fine, sanction, or other penalty, attempt to coerce an individual who does not have the party unit's official endorsement as a means to prevent the individual from filing as a candidate for office. new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment. new text end

Presented to the governor April 26, 2012

Signed by the governor April 27, 2012, 2:18 p.m.