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8240.2700 MUNICIPAL CLERK TRAINING REQUIREMENT.

Subpart 1.

Certification required.

To administer an election, a municipal clerk must successfully complete an initial municipal clerk election administration training course and must remain certified in election administration under this part.

Subp. 2.

Length of initial training.

An initial municipal clerk election administration training course consists of five hours of training given by a county auditor or the secretary of state. The five hours of training must be completed within one election cycle.

Subp. 3.

Initial certification.

The home county auditor must issue the initial certification of election administration to a municipal clerk who successfully completes the municipal clerk election administration training course. The initial certification of election administration is valid until the end of the election cycle after the election cycle in which the certification was issued.

Subp. 4.

Biennial certification maintenance requirement.

To remain certified in election administration after receiving the initial certification, a municipal clerk must successfully complete four hours of election administration training during each election cycle. The certification maintenance training must be given by a county auditor or the secretary of state and must be completed before the expiration date of the clerk's certification. The clerk must provide the home county auditor with proof that the clerk has completed certification maintenance training before the expiration date of the clerk's certification. At the beginning of each election cycle, the home county auditor shall issue a new certification of election administration to a municipal clerk who has completed the biennial certification maintenance requirement. The new certification of election administration is valid until the end of the election cycle in which the new certification was issued.

Subp. 5.

Training content.

An election administration training course for municipal clerks must include training on:

A.

candidate filings;

B.

campaign practices;

C.

campaign finance requirements;

D.

the election calendar;

E.

ballot preparation;

F.

election judge recruitment and duties;

G.

notice requirements;

H.

voting systems, if used in the municipality;

I.

mail elections;

J.

absentee voting;

K.

security practices; and

L.

post-election duties.

Subp. 6.

Alternative training.

Election administration training given by an individual other than a county auditor or the secretary of state may fulfill up to four hours of the initial certification requirement or three hours of the biennial certification maintenance requirement if the training covers topics listed in subpart 5. The municipal clerk must provide the home county auditor with a description of the course to receive credit for the alternative training. The home county auditor must review the course description to determine whether the alternative training covers topics listed in subpart 5.

Subp. 7.

Credit for election judge training.

Time spent attending the adult education training methods course required by part 8240.1100 must not be counted toward fulfillment of a clerk's initial certification requirement or biennial certification maintenance requirement. Time spent teaching the first session of each type of election judge training or attending any type of election judge training may be counted toward fulfillment of a clerk's initial certification requirement or biennial certification maintenance requirement.

Subp. 8.

Record.

The home county auditor must keep a record of all municipal clerks who receive election administration training. The record must contain the clerk's name, the clerk's municipality, the name and date of any completed training course, the date certification was completed, the name and date of any completed post-certification courses, and the date the clerk's certification expires. The auditor may remove a clerk's name from the record if the clerk's certification has been expired for at least two years.

Subp. 9.

Emergency training.

A municipal clerk who has taken office less than six months before an election may administer that election after completing two hours of emergency training given by the home county auditor or secretary of state.

Subp. 10.

Certification for municipal staff.

Municipal employees designated by the municipal clerk may attend municipal clerk election administration training courses. The home county auditor shall issue a certification of election administration to a municipal designee who successfully completes a municipal clerk election administration training course.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 204B.25

History:

25 SR 112; 43 SR 437

Published Electronically:

October 15, 2018

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes