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State could conduct pilot of electronic voter registration system
A trial run of electronic rosters for preregistered and same-day registration purposes on Election Day in Dilworth, Minnetonka, Moorhead, St. Anthony and St. Paul could come as early as this year.
The House passed the provision among others in the omnibus elections bill 99-32 Monday. It now goes to the Senate.
HF894*/
SF677, sponsored by Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-Hopkins) and Sen. Katie Sieben (DFL-Newport), would also allow residents to vote absentee without an excuse and reduce the number of individuals someone can vouch for as a valid resident on Election Day from 15 to eight.
Under the bill, the secretary of state’s office could, to the extent feasible, create an electronic poll book that would allow data to be loaded manually or by scanning an identification card for the fall election in participating cities. However, the technology for preregistered voters might not be ready by then, according to Beth Fraser, director of government affairs at the Office of the Secretary of State.
The provision would also establish a task force that would be required to submit a report to the Legislature by Jan. 31, 2014.
According to Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka), who sponsored a bill that included the provision, Minnetonka has been doing e-poll book voting for several years. She said that the original House provision to conduct a separate mock election using e-poll book voting by April 15, 2014, is more expensive.
“It doesn’t give a real life experience because it’s not done at an election,” she told a conference committee earlier this month.
Other provisions would require the commissioner of corrections to provide electronic data to the secretary of state on individuals on probation who have lost the right to vote.
Sen. Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson) opposed House language that would have required the county auditor to notify those who have had their voting rights restored. “I think notification to felons is really a function of the judicial branch and not of the Secretary of State Office.”
The bill also excludes original House language that would have allowed Kandiyohi, Lake, Clay and Lyon counties to appoint their auditor-treasurers and recorders, which are currently elected positions. Jackson County would have also been allowed to appoint its auditor-treasurer position.
- Liz Stoever
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