| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to elections; requiring voter verification before mail delivery of an absentee |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 ballot; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 203B.04, subdivisions 1, 5. |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 203B.04, subdivision 1, is amended to read: |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 Subdivision 1.Application procedures.(a) Except as otherwise allowed by subdivision |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.72 or by section 203B.11, subdivision 4, an application for absentee ballots for any election |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8may be submitted at any time not less than one day before the day of that election. The |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9county auditor shall prepare absentee ballot application forms in the format provided by the |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10secretary of state and shall furnish them to any person on request. By January 1 of each |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11even-numbered year, the secretary of state shall make the forms to be used available to |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12auditors through electronic means. An application submitted pursuant to this subdivision |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13shall be in writing. An application may be submitted in person, by electronic facsimile |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14device, by electronic mail, or by mail to: |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15 (1) the county auditor of the county where the applicant maintains residence; or |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16 (2) the municipal clerk of the municipality, or school district if applicable, where the |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17applicant maintains residence. |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18 (b) An absentee ballot application may alternatively be submitted electronically through |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19a secure website that shall be maintained by the secretary of state for this purpose. |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20Notwithstanding paragraph (d), the secretary of state must require applicants using the |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21website to submit the applicant's email address and verifiable Minnesota driver's license |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 23 | 23 | | 25-01975 as introduced02/19/25 REVISOR JFK/EE |
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| 24 | 24 | | SENATE |
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| 25 | 25 | | STATE OF MINNESOTA |
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| 26 | 26 | | S.F. No. 2695NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 27 | 27 | | (SENATE AUTHORS: KORAN, Lucero and Limmer) |
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| 28 | 28 | | OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE |
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| 29 | 29 | | Introduction and first reading03/20/2025 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Referred to Elections 2.1number, Minnesota state identification card number, or the last four digits of the applicant's |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2.2Social Security number. This paragraph does not apply to a town election held in March. |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.3 (c) An application submitted electronically under this paragraph may only be transmitted |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.4to the county auditor for processing if the secretary of state has verified the application |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.5information matches the information in a government database associated with the applicant's |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.6driver's license number, state identification card number, or Social Security number. The |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.7secretary of state must review all unverifiable applications for evidence of suspicious activity |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.8and must forward any such application to an appropriate law enforcement agency for |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.9investigation. |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.10 (d) Subject to paragraphs (e) and (f), an application shall be approved if it is timely |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.11received, signed and dated by the applicant, contains the applicant's name and residence |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.12and mailing addresses, date of birth, and at least one of the following: |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.13 (1) the applicant's Minnesota driver's license number; |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.14 (2) Minnesota state identification card number; |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.15 (3) the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security number; or |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.16 (4) a statement that the applicant does not have any of these numbers. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2.17 (e) To be approved, the application must contain an oath that the information contained |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2.18on the form is accurate, that the applicant is applying on the applicant's own behalf, and |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2.19that the applicant is signing the form under penalty of perjury. |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2.20 (f) An application that would result in an absentee ballot being mailed that meets the |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2.21requirements of paragraphs (d) and (e) and has not already been verified under paragraph |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2.22(c), must be electronically submitted by the county auditor or municipal clerk to the secretary |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2.23of state to verify the application information matches the information in a government |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2.24database associated with the applicant's driver's license number, state identification card |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2.25number, or Social Security number. The secretary of state must maintain a secure website |
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| 55 | 55 | | 2.26for use by county auditors and municipal clerks for this purpose. The secretary of state must |
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| 56 | 56 | | 2.27review all unverifiable applications for evidence of suspicious activity and must forward |
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| 57 | 57 | | 2.28any such application to an appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation. |
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| 58 | 58 | | 2.29 (f) (g) An applicant's full date of birth, Minnesota driver's license or state identification |
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| 59 | 59 | | 2.30number, and the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security number must not be made |
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| 60 | 60 | | 2.31available for public inspection. An application may be submitted to the county auditor or |
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| 61 | 61 | | 2.32municipal clerk by an electronic facsimile device. An application mailed or returned in |
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| 62 | 62 | | 2.33person to the county auditor or municipal clerk on behalf of a voter by a person other than |
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| 63 | 63 | | 2Section 1. |
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| 64 | 64 | | 25-01975 as introduced02/19/25 REVISOR JFK/EE 3.1the voter must be deposited in the mail or returned in person to the county auditor or |
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| 65 | 65 | | 3.2municipal clerk within ten days after it has been dated by the voter and no later than six |
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| 66 | 66 | | 3.3days before the election. |
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| 67 | 67 | | 3.4 (g) (h) An application under this subdivision may contain an application under subdivision |
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| 68 | 68 | | 3.55 to automatically receive an absentee ballot. |
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| 69 | 69 | | 3.6 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 203B.04, subdivision 5, is amended to read: |
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| 70 | 70 | | 3.7 Subd. 5.Permanent absentee voter status.(a) An eligible voter may apply to a county |
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| 71 | 71 | | 3.8auditor or municipal clerk to automatically receive an absentee ballot before each election, |
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| 72 | 72 | | 3.9other than an election by mail conducted under section 204B.45, and to have the status as |
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| 73 | 73 | | 3.10a permanent absentee voter indicated on the voter's registration record. An eligible voter |
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| 74 | 74 | | 3.11listed as an ongoing absentee voter as of July 31, 2013, pursuant to laws in effect on that |
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| 75 | 75 | | 3.12date, shall be treated as if the voter applied for status as a permanent absentee voter pursuant |
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| 76 | 76 | | 3.13to this subdivision. |
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| 77 | 77 | | 3.14 (b) A voter who applies under paragraph (a) must automatically be provided an absentee |
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| 78 | 78 | | 3.15ballot for each eligible election. A voter's permanent absentee status ends and automatic |
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| 79 | 79 | | 3.16ballot delivery must be terminated on: |
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| 80 | 80 | | 3.17 (1) the voter's written request; |
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| 81 | 81 | | 3.18 (2) the voter's death; |
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| 82 | 82 | | 3.19 (3) return of an absentee ballot as undeliverable; or |
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| 83 | 83 | | 3.20 (4) a change in the voter's status to "challenged" or "inactive" in the statewide voter |
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| 84 | 84 | | 3.21registration system. |
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| 85 | 85 | | 3.22 (c) At least 60 days but no more than 75 days before each regularly scheduled primary |
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| 86 | 86 | | 3.23and general election, the secretary of state must validate that each permanent absentee voter |
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| 87 | 87 | | 3.24matches the information in a government database associated with the voter's driver's license |
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| 88 | 88 | | 3.25number, state identification card number, or Social Security number. If a voter on the |
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| 89 | 89 | | 3.26permanent absentee voter status cannot be verified, that voter's status must be changed to |
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| 90 | 90 | | 3.27"challenged" and the voter must be notified that the voter has been removed from the |
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| 91 | 91 | | 3.28permanent absentee voter list. The secretary of state must notify the voter by the method or |
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| 92 | 92 | | 3.29methods of communication provided by the voter on the voter's application for an absentee |
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| 93 | 93 | | 3.30ballot or voter registration. |
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| 94 | 94 | | 3.31 (c) (d) The secretary of state shall adopt rules governing procedures under this |
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| 95 | 95 | | 3.32subdivision. |
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| 96 | 96 | | 3Sec. 2. |
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| 97 | 97 | | 25-01975 as introduced02/19/25 REVISOR JFK/EE 4.1 (d) (e) This subdivision does not apply to a voter residing in a jurisdiction that conducts |
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| 98 | 98 | | 4.2elections entirely by mail under section 204B.45. |
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| 99 | 99 | | 4Sec. 2. |
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| 100 | 100 | | 25-01975 as introduced02/19/25 REVISOR JFK/EE |
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