Signed by Governor Mark Dayton

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends election laws.

Highlights:

• Authorizes voters to cast an early ballot at polling stations beginning 15 days before a county, state, or federal election until 5 p.m. on the third day before the election, for all elections held on or after August 1, 2015 (Art. 5).
• Requires early voting polling locations to be open at the following times (Art. 5):
• From 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on every weekday;
• From 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on at least 1 weekday; and
• From 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on the 2 Saturdays before the election.
• Requires certain locations to be available for early voting, including the following locations (Art. 5):
• The county auditor’s office;
• The municipal clerk’s office in every municipality that has been delegated the responsibility to administer absentee voting; and
• The other locations designated by the county auditor or municipal clerk at least 90 days before the election.
• Authorizes an individual who has been convicted of a felony but who is not currently incarcerated for a felony offense, to vote, effective August 1, 2015 (Art. 4).
• Authorizes an individual who is under the age of 18 but at least 16 years old, and who is otherwise eligible, to pre-register to vote (Art. 3).
• Requires Commissioner of Public Safety to modify the application forms for driver’s licenses, instruction permits, and identification cards in such a way that they contain spaces for all information collected by voter registration applications and a box for the applicant to decline to be registered to vote (Art. 3).
• Requires the commissioner to transmit information collected from driver’s license, instruction permit, and identification card application forms to the Secretary of State to be used to register voters or update voter registration profiles, for all those individuals who have not declined to be registered to vote (Art. 3).
• Prohibits an individual from voting with an absentee ballot in person during the period designated for early voting (Art. 5).
• Repeals the requirement that election precinct boundaries follow physical features (Art. 1).
• Establishes the Elections Emergency Planning Task Force consisting of 14 members that shall be appointed by July 1, 2015 (Art. 1).
• Requires the task force to research potential emergency scenarios that could impact elections and the current capacity to address emergency situations, and to submit a report of findings to the relevant state legislative committees by January 1, 2016 (Art. 1).

Full Bill Text