as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 04/02/2013 12:44pm
A bill for an act
relating to elections; establishing a pilot project for conducting elections
using electronic roster technology; creating the Electronic Roster Task Force;
appropriating money.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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A pilot project is established to explore the use
of electronic rosters in conducting elections. The pilot project shall apply to general
elections for counties, cities, and towns conducted in designated jurisdictions in 2013. The
standards for conducting the pilot project are as provided in this section.
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A total of eight precincts located in Ramsey
County, Minneapolis, and Minnetonka shall participate in the project. Individual precincts
shall be selected by the head elections official within each jurisdiction.
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The pilot project shall be conducted using
electronic roster technology certified for use in the project by the secretary of state. At a
minimum, an electronic roster must:
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(1) be preloaded with data from the statewide voter registration system or be able to
connect to the statewide voter registration system by a secure network, so that information
may be entered and viewed in real time;
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(2) provide for a printed voter's signature certificate, containing the voter's name,
address of residence, date of birth, voter identification number, the oath required by
Minnesota Statutes, section 204C.10, and a space for the voter's original signature;
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(3) immediately alert the election judge if the roster indicates that a voter has already
voted, is ineligible to vote in the precinct, or the voter's registration status is challenged;
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(4) provide immediate instructions on how to resolve a particular type of challenge
when a voter's record is challenged; and
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(5) perform any other functions necessary for the efficient and secure administration
of the election, as determined by the secretary of state.
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Except as provided in this section,
the provisions of the Minnesota Election Law apply to this pilot project, so far as
practicable. Voters participating in the safe at home program must be allowed to vote
pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 5B.06. Nothing in this section shall be construed
to amend absentee voting provisions in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 203B. The secretary
of state may adopt additional procedures for conduct of the pilot project, to the extent they
are not inconsistent with this section or any other provision of the Minnesota Election Law.
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In each precinct participating in the project, the election
judges shall use an electronic roster instead of a paper roster to verify registration status
of preregistered voters, and may use the roster technology to facilitate same day voter
registration procedures.
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The secretary of state must provide for an evaluation of the
pilot project and must report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over elections
by February 15, 2014. The report must include:
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(1) a description of the technology that was used and explanation of how that
technology was selected;
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(2) the process used for implementing electronic poll books;
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(3) a description of training that was conducted for election judges and other election
officials in precincts that used electronic poll books;
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(4) the number of voters who voted in each precinct using electronic poll books;
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(5) comments or feedback from election judges or others in a precinct using
electronic poll books;
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(6) the costs associated with the use of electronic poll books, broken down by
precinct; and
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(7) any other feedback or recommendations the secretary of state believes are
relevant to evaluating the pilot project.
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The authorization for this pilot project expires upon
submission of the report as provided in subdivision 6.
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(a) The Electronic Roster Task Force consists of the
following 15 members:
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(1) the director of the Department of Vehicle Services, or designee;
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(2) the secretary of state, or designee;
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(3) the director of information technology in the Office of the Secretary of State;
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(4) the chief information officer of the state of Minnesota, or designee;
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(5) one county auditor appointed by the Minnesota Association of County Auditors;
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(6) one town election official appointed by the Minnesota Association of Townships;
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(7) one city election official appointed by the League of Minnesota Cities;
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(8) one school district election official appointed by the Minnesota School Boards
Association;
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(9) one representative appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
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(10) one representative appointed by the minority leader of the house of
representatives;
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(11) one senator appointed by the senate majority leader;
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(12) one senator appointed by the senate minority leader;
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(13) one individual, appointed by the governor, familiar with electronic roster
technology but who does not represent a specific vendor of the technology; and
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(14) two registered voters, appointed by the governor, who are not affiliated with
any of the entities otherwise identified in this subdivision.
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(b) Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the appointing authority for the
vacating member.
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(c) Members shall be appointed by June 1, 2013.
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(a) The task force must research the following issues:
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(1) electronic roster technology, including different types of electronic rosters; the
ability to use photographs received from the Department of Vehicle Services; the ability to
add photographs to the roster on election day; and the ability to connect to the statewide
voter registration system;
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(2) security of the data in electronic rosters, the statewide voter registration system,
and the Department of Vehicle Services;
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(3) reliability of Department of Vehicle Services data, including the ability to match
names and photographs without duplication;
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(4) ability of precincts across the state to connect an electronic roster to a secure
network to access the statewide voter registration system; and
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(5) direct and indirect costs associated with using electronic rosters.
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(b) The task force must prepare a report summarizing its findings and listing
recommendations, including model legislation, on the use of electronic rosters that
integrate photographs.
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(a) The secretary of state, or the secretary of state's
designee, must convene the initial meeting of the task force by July 1, 2013. The members
of the task force must elect a chair and a vice-chair from the members of the task force
at the first meeting.
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(b) Members of the task force shall be compensated at the rate of $55 a day spent
on task force activities, when authorized by the task force, plus expenses in the same
manner and amount as authorized by the commissioner's plan adopted under Minnesota
Statutes, section 43A.18, subdivision 2. Members who, as a result of time spent attending
task force meetings, incur child care expenses that would not otherwise have been
incurred, may be reimbursed for those expenses upon council or committee authorization.
Legislative members of the task force shall receive compensation in the same manner
as other members of the task force and shall not receive a per diem payment under
Minnesota Statutes, section 3.099, for activities related to the task force. Members who
are state employees, not including legislators, must not receive the daily compensation for
activities that occur during working hours for which they are compensated by the state.
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(c) The Legislative Coordinating Commission shall provide staff support, as needed,
to facilitate the task force's work.
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The task force shall submit its report to the chairs and ranking
minority members of the legislative committees with primary jurisdiction over elections
by February 15, 2014.
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(a) $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the secretary of state to carry
out the requirements of section 1.
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(b) $....... is appropriated to the Legislative Coordinating Commission for the
purposes of the task force established in section 2.
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(c) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.013 to 16A.016, the secretary
of state may solicit and accept funds to be used to implement the pilot project in section 1.
The secretary of state may not solicit or accept funds from a vendor of elections equipment
or technology. Funds accepted under this section must be deposited in the general fund
and are appropriated to the secretary of state for the uses authorized by this paragraph.
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This act is effective the day following final enactment.
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