Minnesota Administrative Rules

8240.2900 COUNTY AUDITOR ELECTION ADMINISTRATION CERTIFICATION.

Subpart 1.

Length of initial training.

To be certified in election administration by the secretary of state, a county auditor must successfully complete a county auditor election administration training course. A county auditor election administration training course consists of 15 hours of training given by the secretary of state. The 15 hours of training must be completed within one election cycle.

Subp. 2.

Initial certification.

The secretary of state must issue the initial certification of election administration to a county auditor who successfully completes the county auditor election administration training course. The initial certification of election administration is valid until December 31 of the calendar year after the election cycle in which the certification was issued.

Subp. 3.

Annual certification maintenance requirement.

To remain certified in election administration after receiving the initial certification, a county auditor must successfully complete two hours of election administration training during each calendar year. The certification maintenance training must be given by the secretary of state and must be completed before the expiration date of the auditor's certification. The auditor must provide the secretary of state with proof that the auditor has completed certification maintenance training before the expiration date of the auditor's certification. The secretary of state shall issue a new certification of election administration to a county auditor who has completed the annual certification maintenance requirement. The new certification of election administration is valid until December 31 of the year in which the new certification was issued.

Subp. 4.

Training content.

An election administration training course for county auditors must include training on:

A.

the voter registration system;

B.

candidate filings;

C.

campaign practices;

D.

campaign finance requirements;

E.

the election calendar;

F.

ballot preparation;

G.

election judge recruitment and duties;

H.

mail elections;

I.

absentee voting;

J.

the election night reporting system;

K.

security practices;

L.

post-election duties; and

M.

the duties performed by municipal and school district clerks.

Subp. 5.

Alternative training.

Election administration training given by an individual other than the secretary of state may fulfill up to 13 hours of the initial certification requirement or one hour of the annual certification maintenance requirement if the training covers topics listed in subpart 4. The county auditor must provide the secretary of state with a description of the course to receive credit for the alternative training. The secretary must review the course description to determine whether the alternative training covers topics listed in subpart 4.

Subp. 6.

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 an auditor's initial certification requirement or annual 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 an auditor's initial certification requirement or annual certification maintenance requirement.

Subp. 7.

Record.

The secretary of state must keep a record of all county auditors who receive election administration training. The record must contain the auditor's name, the auditor's county, 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 auditor's certification expires. The secretary of state may remove an auditor's name from the record if the auditor's certification has been expired for at least two years.

Subp. 8.

Emergency training.

The secretary of state shall conduct emergency election administration training for a county auditor who has taken office less than two months before an election.

Subp. 9.

Certification for county election staff.

County employees designated by the county auditor may attend county auditor election administration training courses. The secretary of state shall issue a certification of election administration to a county designee who successfully completes a county auditor election administration training course.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 204B.25

History:

25 SR 112; 43 SR 437

Published Electronically:

October 15, 2018