Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota House Bill HF992 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1.1 A bill for an act
2	2	1.2 relating to elections; authorizing challengers in absentee and early voting polling
3	3	1.3 places; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 204C.07; 204C.12, subdivision
4	4	1.4 1.
5	5	1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
6	6	1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 204C.07, is amended to read:
7	7	1.7 204C.07 CHALLENGERS.
8	8	1.8 Subdivision 1.Definitions and partisan elections.(a) For purposes of this section,
9	9	1.9"polling place" means a precinct polling place or any location where a voter may vote early
10	10	1.10or cast an in-person absentee ballot during the 18 days before the election as provided in
11	11	1.11section 203B.081.
12	12	1.12 (b) At an election to fill partisan offices, the chair of an authorized committee of each
13	13	1.13major political party may appoint by written certificate voters from that political party to
14	14	1.14act as challengers of voters at the a polling place for each precinct. Only one challenger
15	15	1.15from each major political party for each precinct shall be allowed to remain in the a polling
16	16	1.16place at one time.
17	17	1.17 Subd. 2.Nonpartisan elections.At an election to fill nonpartisan offices, each
18	18	1.18nonpartisan candidate may appoint by written certificate voters to act as challengers of
19	19	1.19voters at the a polling place for each precinct. Only one challenger for each candidate shall
20	20	1.20be allowed to remain in the a polling place for each precinct at one time.
21	21	1.21 Subd. 3.Elections on a question.At an election where a question is to be voted upon
22	22	1.22in an election jurisdiction, the appropriate mayor of a city, school board of a school district,
23	23	1Section 1.
24	24	REVISOR JFK/BM 25-0126901/13/25
25	25	State of Minnesota
26	26	This Document can be made available
27	27	in alternative formats upon request
28	28	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
29	29	H. F. No. 992
30	30	NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
31	31	Authored by Gordon02/17/2025
32	32	The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Elections Finance and Government Operations 2.1or board of supervisors of a town, upon receiving a written petition signed by at least 25
33	33	2.2eligible voters, shall appoint by written certificate one voter for each precinct polling place
34	34	2.3in the municipality, or school district if applicable, to act as a challenger of voters in the
35	35	2.4polling place for that precinct. The petition must be delivered to the clerk of the municipality
36	36	2.5or school conducting the election.
37	37	2.6 Subd. 3a.Residence requirement.A challenger must be a resident of this state.
38	38	2.7Appointed challengers seeking admission to a polling place to serve in that capacity must
39	39	2.8prove their status as a resident of this state by presenting one of the documents listed in
40	40	2.9section 201.061, subdivision 3. Challengers serving in a precinct polling place do not need
41	41	2.10not to prove residence in the precinct in which they seek to act as a challenger.
42	42	2.11 Subd. 4.Restrictions on conduct.An election judge must not be appointed as a
43	43	2.12challenger. In a polling place where early voting or absentee voting is conducted, a person
44	44	2.13authorized to perform the election duties required by section 203B.081, subdivision 3, must
45	45	2.14not be appointed as a challenger. The election judges or persons authorized to perform the
46	46	2.15election duties required by section 203B.081, subdivision 3, must permit challengers
47	47	2.16appointed pursuant to this section to be present in the polling place during the hours of
48	48	2.17voting and. On election day, challengers must be allowed to remain there until the votes are
49	49	2.18counted and the results declared. Prior to election day, challengers must be allowed to remain
50	50	2.19in the polling place until the ballots have been secured at the close of voting. A challenger
51	51	2.20must not handle or inspect registration cards, files, or lists. Challengers must not prepare in
52	52	2.21any manner any list of individuals who have or have not voted. They must not attempt to
53	53	2.22influence voting in any manner. In accordance with section 204C.12, challengers must not
54	54	2.23converse with a voter.
55	55	2.24 Subd. 5.Prohibited challenges.Challengers and the political parties that appointed
56	56	2.25them must not compile lists of voters to challenge on the basis of mail sent by a political
57	57	2.26party that was returned as undeliverable or if receipt by the intended recipient was not
58	58	2.27acknowledged in the case of registered mail. This subdivision applies to any local, state, or
59	59	2.28national affiliate of a political party that has appointed challengers, as well as any
60	60	2.29subcontractors, vendors, or other individuals acting as agents on behalf of a political party.
61	61	2.30 A violation of this subdivision is a gross misdemeanor.
62	62	2.31 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 204C.12, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
63	63	2.32 Subdivision 1.Scope; manner of challenging.(a) This section applies to challengers
64	64	2.33in polling places as defined in section 204C.07, subdivision 1. A person authorized to
65	65	2Sec. 2.
66	66	REVISOR JFK/BM 25-0126901/13/25 3.1perform the election duties required by section 203B.081, subdivision 3, must perform the
67	67	3.2functions required of an election judge by this section.
68	68	3.3 (b) An election judge shall, and an authorized challenger or other voter may, challenge
69	69	3.4an individual based on personal knowledge that the individual is not an eligible voter.
70	70	3.5 Sec. 3. REVISOR INSTRUCTION.
71	71	3.6 The revisor of statutes must codify Minnesota Statutes, section 204C.07, subdivision 1,
72	72	3.7paragraph (b), as Minnesota Statutes, section 204C.07, subdivision 1a.
73	73	3Sec. 3.
74	74	REVISOR JFK/BM 25-0126901/13/25