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204C.07 CHALLENGERS.
    Subdivision 1. Partisan elections. At an election to fill partisan offices, the chair of an
authorized committee of each major political party may appoint by written certificate voters from
that political party to act as challengers of voters at the polling place for each precinct. Only one
challenger from each major political party for each precinct shall be allowed to remain in the
polling place at one time.
    Subd. 2. Nonpartisan elections. At an election to fill nonpartisan offices, each nonpartisan
candidate may appoint by written certificate voters to act as challengers of voters at the polling
place for each precinct. Only one challenger for each candidate shall be allowed to remain in the
polling place for each precinct at one time.
    Subd. 3. Elections on a question. At an election where a question is to be voted upon, the
mayor of a city, or the school board of a school district, or the board of supervisors of a town,
upon receiving a written petition signed by at least 25 eligible voters, shall appoint by written
certificate one voter for each precinct in the municipality, or school district if applicable, to act
as a challenger of voters in the polling place for that precinct.
    Subd. 3a. Residence requirement. A challenger must be a resident of this state.
    Subd. 4. Restrictions on conduct. An election judge may not be appointed as a challenger.
The election judges shall permit challengers appointed pursuant to this section to be present in the
polling place during the hours of voting and to remain there until the votes are counted and the
results declared. No challenger shall handle or inspect registration cards, files, or lists. Challengers
shall not prepare in any manner any list of individuals who have or have not voted. They shall
not attempt to influence voting in any manner. They shall not converse with a voter except to
determine, in the presence of an election judge, whether the voter is eligible to vote in the precinct.
    Subd. 5. Prohibited challenges. Challengers and the political parties that appointed them
must not compile lists of voters to challenge on the basis of mail sent by a political party that was
returned as undeliverable or if receipt by the intended recipient was not acknowledged in the case
of registered mail. This subdivision applies to any local, state, or national affiliate of a political
party that has appointed challengers, as well as any subcontractors, vendors, or other individuals
acting as agents on behalf of a political party.
A violation of this subdivision is a gross misdemeanor.
History: 1981 c 29 art 5 s 7; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 266 art 1 s 36; 2005 c 156 art 6 s 42,43;
2006 c 242 s 21

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