| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to elections; modifying penalties related to the solicitation, collection, |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 acceptance, or delivery of certain absentee ballots or absentee ballot applications; |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 203B.03. |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 203B.03, is amended to read: |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7 203B.03 PROHIBITIONS; PENALTIES. |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8 Subdivision 1.Violation.(a) No individual shall intentionally: |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9 (1) make or sign any false certificate required by this chapter; |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10 (2) make any false or untrue statement in any application for absentee ballots; |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11 (3) apply for absentee ballots more than once in any election with the intent to cast an |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12illegal ballot; |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13 (4) exhibit a ballot marked by that individual to any other individual; |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14 (5) do any act in violation of the provisions of this chapter for the purpose of casting an |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15illegal vote in any precinct or for the purpose of aiding another to cast an illegal vote; |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16 (6) use information from absentee ballot or early voting materials or records for purposes |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17unrelated to elections, political activities, or law enforcement; |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18 (7) provide assistance to an absentee or early voter except in the manner provided by |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19section 204C.15, subdivision 1; |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20 (8) solicit the vote of an absentee voter while in the immediate presence of the voter |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21during the time the individual knows the absentee voter is voting; or |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 23 | 23 | | REVISOR JFK/MI 25-0214101/16/25 |
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| 24 | 24 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 25 | 25 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 26 | 26 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 27 | 27 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 28 | 28 | | H. F. No. 368 |
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| 29 | 29 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 30 | 30 | | Authored by Murphy and Altendorf02/13/2025 |
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| 31 | 31 | | The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Elections Finance and Government Operations 2.1 (9) alter an absentee ballot application after it has been signed by the voter, except by |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.2an election official for administrative purposes; or |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.3 (10) solicit, collect, accept, or deliver absentee ballots as a voter's agent in excess of the |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.4number permitted by section 203B.08, subdivision 1, including but not limited to soliciting, |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.5collecting, or accepting an absentee ballot for the purpose of delivering it to an absentee |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.6ballot drop box. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.7 (b) Before inspecting information from absentee ballot or early voting materials or |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.8records, an individual shall provide identification to the public official having custody of |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.9the material or information. |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.10 Subd. 1a.Prohibited methods of compensation.(a) No individual may be compensated |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.11for the solicitation, collection, or acceptance, or delivery of absentee ballots or absentee |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.12ballot applications from voters for submission to the county auditor or other local election |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.13official in a manner in which payment is calculated by multiplying (1) either a set or variable |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.14payment rate, by (2) the number of applications solicited, collected, or accepted. |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.15 (b) No individual may be deprived of compensation or have compensation automatically |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2.16reduced exclusively for failure to solicit, collect, or accept, or deliver a minimum number |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2.17of absentee ballots or absentee ballot applications. |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2.18 (c) No individual may receive additional compensation for collecting or delivering a |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2.19certain number of absentee ballots or absentee ballot applications. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2.20 (d) Violation of this subdivision is a petty misdemeanor. |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2.21 Subd. 2.Penalty.A violation of this section is a felony. |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2.22 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment. |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2Section 1. |
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| 54 | 54 | | REVISOR JFK/MI 25-0214101/16/25 |
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