1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 proposing a constitutional amendment to article VII, section 1; allowing political
1.3 subdivisions to lower the voting age to 16 for local elections; making conforming
1.4 changes; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 201.014, subdivision 1;
1.5 201.071, subdivision 1; 203B.21, subdivision 3; 204C.10; proposing coding for
1.6 new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 201.
1.7BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.8 ARTICLE 1
1.9 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
1.10 Section 1. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED.
1.11 An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to the people. If the amendment
1.12is adopted, article VII, section 1, will read:
1.13 Section 1. Every person 18 years of age or more who has been a citizen of the United
1.14States for three months and who has resided in the precinct for 30 days next preceding an
1.15election shall be entitled to vote in that precinct. A county, municipality, or school district
1.16may lower the voting age to 16 years of age for local elections but must not amend any
1.17other voter eligibility requirements. The place of voting by one otherwise qualified who
1.18has changed his residence within 30 days preceding the election shall be prescribed by law.
1.19The following persons shall not be entitled or permitted to vote at any election in this state:
1.20A person not meeting the above requirements; a person who has been convicted of treason
1.21or felony, unless restored to civil rights; a person under guardianship, or a person who is
1.22insane or not mentally competent.
1Article 1 Section 1.
25-01976 as introduced02/03/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 2549NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: PAPPAS)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading03/13/2025
Referred to Elections 2.1 Sec. 2. SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.
2.2 The proposed amendment must be submitted to the people at the 2026 general election.
2.3The question submitted must be:
2.4 "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to allow political subdivisions to lower
2.5the voting age to 16 years of age for local elections?
2.6 Yes ...................
"2.7 No ....................
2.8 ARTICLE 2
2.9 CONFORMING CHANGES
2.10 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 201.014, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.11 Subdivision 1.Requirements.Except as provided in subdivision 2, an individual who
2.12meets the following requirements at the time of an election is eligible to vote. The individual
2.13must:
2.14 (1) be 18 years of age or older or be 16 years of age or older to vote in a local election
2.15as provided in section 201.017;
2.16 (2) be a citizen of the United States; and
2.17 (3) maintain residence in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding the election.
2.18 Sec. 2. [201.017] VOTING AGE FOR COUNTY, SCHOOL, OR MUNICIPAL
2.19ELECTIONS.
2.20 The governing body of a county, municipality, or school district may adopt a resolution
2.21that allows a person 16 years old on or before election day to vote in elections held by the
2.22jurisdiction that adopted the resolution. The voter must satisfy all other voter eligibility
2.23requirements. A person under the age of 18 may only vote for offices and ballot questions
2.24for the jurisdiction that has adopted the lower voting age. A person under the age of 18 must
2.25not be allowed to vote for any state or federal office or state ballot question. The ballot
2.26provided to an individual authorized to vote under this section must be prepared so that the
2.27individual may vote only for local offices or questions where the voter is authorized to vote.
2.28 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 201.071, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.29 Subdivision 1.Form.Both paper and electronic voter registration applications must
2.30contain the same information unless otherwise provided by law. A voter registration
2Article 2 Sec. 3.
25-01976 as introduced02/03/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 3.1application must contain spaces for the following required information: voter's first name,
3.2middle name, and last name; voter's previous name, if any; voter's current address; voter's
3.3previous address, if any; voter's date of birth; voter's municipality and county of residence;
3.4voter's telephone number, if provided by the voter; date of registration; current and valid
3.5Minnesota driver's license number or Minnesota state identification number, or if the voter
3.6has no current and valid Minnesota driver's license or Minnesota state identification, the
3.7last four digits of the voter's Social Security number; a box to indicate a voter's preference
3.8to join the permanent absentee voter list; and voter's signature. The paper registration
3.9application must provide a space for a voter to provide a physical description of the location
3.10of their residence, if the voter resides in an area lacking a specific physical address. The
3.11description must be sufficient for the county auditor to identify the correct precinct for the
3.12voter. The description may include the closest cross street or the nearest address to the
3.13described location that is identified on a precinct map, and directions from that cross street
3.14or address to the described location, including but not limited to the cardinal direction and
3.15approximate distance to the location. The paper registration application may include the
3.16voter's email address, if provided by the voter. The electronic voter registration application
3.17must include the voter's email address. The registration application may include the voter's
3.18interest in serving as an election judge, if indicated by the voter. The application must also
3.19contain the following certification of voter eligibility:
3.20 "I certify that I:
3.21 (1) am at least 16 years old and understand that I must be at least 18 years old to be
3.22eligible to vote or be at least 16 years old on election day to vote in a local election as
3.23provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 201.017;
3.24 (2) am a citizen of the United States;
3.25 (3) will have maintained residence in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding
3.26election day;
3.27 (4) maintain residence at the address or location given on the registration form;
3.28 (5) am not under court-ordered guardianship in which the court order revokes my right
3.29to vote;
3.30 (6) have not been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote;
3.31 (7) am not currently incarcerated for a conviction of a felony offense; and
3Article 2 Sec. 3.
25-01976 as introduced02/03/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 4.1 (8) have read and understand the following statement: that giving false information is a
4.2felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment or a fine of not more than
4.3$10,000, or both."
4.4 The certification must include boxes for the voter to respond to the following questions:
4.5 "(1) Are you a citizen of the United States?" and
4.6 "(2) Are you at least 16 years old and will you be at least 18 years old on or before the
4.7day of the election in which you intend to vote or will you be at least 16 years old on or
4.8before election day to vote in a local election as provided in Minnesota Statutes, section
4.9201.017?"
4.10 And the instruction:
4.11 "If you checked 'no' to either of these questions, do not complete this form."
4.12 The form of the voter registration application and the certification of voter eligibility
4.13must be as provided in this subdivision and approved by the secretary of state. Voter
4.14registration forms authorized by the National Voter Registration Act must also be accepted
4.15as valid. The federal postcard application form must also be accepted as valid if it is not
4.16deficient and the voter is eligible to register in Minnesota.
4.17 An individual may use a voter registration application to apply to register to vote in
4.18Minnesota or to change information on an existing registration.
4.19 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 203B.21, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
4.20 Subd. 3.Back of signature envelope.On the back of the signature envelope a certificate
4.21shall appear with space for:
4.22 (1) the voter's address of present or former residence in Minnesota;
4.23 (2) the voter's current email address, if the voter has one;
4.24 (3) a statement indicating the category described in section 203B.16 to which the voter
4.25belongs;
4.26 (4) a statement that the voter has not cast and will not cast another absentee ballot in the
4.27same election or elections;
4.28 (5) a statement that the voter personally marked the ballots without showing them to
4.29anyone, or if physically unable to mark them, that the voter directed another individual to
4.30mark them; and
4Article 2 Sec. 4.
25-01976 as introduced02/03/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 5.1 (6) the same voter's passport number, Minnesota driver's license or state identification
5.2card number, or the last four digits of the voter's Social Security number as provided on the
5.3absentee ballot application; if the voter does not have access to any of these documents, the
5.4voter may attest to the truthfulness of the contents of the certificate under penalty of perjury.
5.5 The certificate shall also contain a signed oath in the form required by section 705 of
5.6the Help America Vote Act, Public Law 107-252, which must read:
5.7 "I swear or affirm, under penalty of perjury, that:
5.8 I am a member of the uniformed services or merchant marine on active duty or an eligible
5.9spouse or dependent of such a member;, a United States citizen temporarily residing outside
5.10the United States;, or other United States citizen residing outside the United States; and I
5.11am a United States citizen, I am or will be at least 18 years of age (or will be by the date of
5.12the election) on or before election day or I am or will be at least 16 years of age on or before
5.13election day to vote in a local election as provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 201.017,
5.14and I am eligible to vote in the requested jurisdiction; I have not been convicted of a felony,
5.15or other disqualifying offense, or been adjudicated mentally incompetent, or, if so, my voting
5.16rights have been reinstated; and I am not registering, requesting a ballot, or voting in any
5.17other jurisdiction in the United States except the jurisdiction cited in this voting form. In
5.18voting, I have marked and sealed my ballot in private and have not allowed any person to
5.19observe the marking of the ballot, except for those authorized to assist voters under state or
5.20federal law. I have not been influenced.
5.21 The information on this form is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge.
5.22I understand that a material misstatement of fact in completion of this document may
5.23constitute grounds for a conviction for perjury."
5.24 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 204C.10, is amended to read:
5.25 204C.10 POLLING PLACE ROSTER; VOTER SIGNATURE CERTIFICATE;
5.26VOTER RECEIPT.
5.27 (a) An individual seeking to vote shall sign a polling place roster or voter signature
5.28certificate which states that the individual:
5.29 (1) is at least 18 years old or at least 16 years old on or before election day to vote in a
5.30local election as provided in section 201.017;
5.31 (2) is a citizen of the United States;
5.32 (3) has maintained residence in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding the election;
5Article 2 Sec. 5.
25-01976 as introduced02/03/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ 6.1 (4) maintains residence at the address shown;
6.2 (5) is not under a guardianship in which the court order revokes the individual's right to
6.3vote;
6.4 (6) has not been found by a court of law to be legally incompetent to vote;
6.5 (7) has the right to vote because, if the individual was convicted of a felony, the individual
6.6is not currently incarcerated for that conviction;
6.7 (8) is registered; and
6.8 (9) has not already voted in the election.
6.9 The roster must also state: "I understand that deliberately providing false information
6.10is a felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment and a fine of not more than
6.11$10,000, or both."
6.12 (b) At the presidential nomination primary, the polling place roster must also state: "I
6.13am in general agreement with the principles of the party for whose candidate I intend to
6.14vote." This statement must appear separately from the statements required in paragraph (a).
6.15The felony penalty provided for in paragraph (a) does not apply to this paragraph.
6.16 (c) A judge may, before the applicant signs the roster or voter signature certificate,
6.17confirm the applicant's name, address, and date of birth.
6.18 (d) After the applicant signs the roster or voter signature certificate, the judge shall give
6.19the applicant a voter's receipt. The voter shall deliver the voter's receipt to the judge in
6.20charge of ballots as proof of the voter's right to vote, and thereupon the judge shall hand to
6.21the voter the ballot. The voters' receipts must be maintained during the time for notice of
6.22filing an election contest.
6.23 (e) Whenever a challenged status appears on the polling place roster, an election judge
6.24must ensure that the challenge is concealed or hidden from the view of any voter other than
6.25the voter whose status is challenged.
6.26 Sec. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
6.27 This article is effective January 1, 2027, if the constitutional amendment in article 1 is
6.28approved by the voters at the 2026 general election and applies to local elections held on
6.29or after that date.
6Article 2 Sec. 6.
25-01976 as introduced02/03/25 REVISOR JFK/VJ Page.Ln 1.8CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT...................................................ARTICLE 1
Page.Ln 2.8CONFORMING CHANGES.................................................................ARTICLE 2
1
APPENDIX
Article locations for 25-01976