St. Paul, Minnesota — On March 5, bipartisan election reform legislation authored by Rep. Laurie Halverson (DFL – Eagan) received a hearing in the House Elections Committee. The bill, HF 637, contains the legislative recommendations adopted by the bipartisan Task Force on Election Integrity. The Task Force was established by executive order of the governor in 2011.
The bill modifies certain standards related to alleged voter registration and voting crimes, requires the Department of Corrections to share data on individuals subject to felony probation resulting in the loss of civil rights with the secretary of state, and requires written notices be provided to individuals whose eligibility to vote is rescinded or restored based on the status of a felony sentence.
“The aim of this bill is to bring even more integrity to our already excellent election system,” said Rep. Halverson. “It will make it clearer to felons that they are not eligible to vote while giving county attorneys, county auditors, and the Secretary of State more tools to notify and track people ineligible to vote.”
The bill has bipartisan support, with Rep. Mike Benson (R – Rochester), a member of the Task Force on Election Integrity, signed on as a co-author. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, co-chair of the Task Force on Election Integrity, and Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom testified in support of the bill.
“I’m very pleased this bill has bipartisan support,” added Rep. Halverson. “Any election reform we pass this session needs to have support from members of both parties. We can work together on reforms and it will be better for the people of Minnesota if we do. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this bill through the legislative process.”
The bill was passed out of the House Elections Committee and referred to the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee.