Clarifying election laws

A package of mostly technical and clarifying changes to Minnesota’s election laws was approved March 17 by a House committee.

HF1011, sponsored by Rep. Bill Hilty (DFL-Finlayson), contains election provisions recommended by the Office of the Secretary of State to expedite the voting process or otherwise update election statutes.

Among the changes proposed in the bill are:

• clarifying that voter registration drives must submit their registrations 10 business days before an election, rather than the current requirement of 10 calendar days;

• prohibiting the changing of a street name or residential address designation within 45 days of an election;

• clarifying processes by which the secretary of state and county auditors are to update records of voters’ addresses in certain circumstances;

• specifying that any changes to a voting precinct resulting from a municipal boundary adjustment do not apply to an election that occurs within 21 days of the change;

• prohibiting voters from taking a photo or video of their ballot on Election Day; and

• prohibiting write-in candidates for office from distributing labels to voters for purposes of sticking them on the ballot.

A companion, SF991, sponsored by Sen. Katie Sieben (DFL-Newport), awaits action by the Elections Subcommittee of the Senate State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee.