Elections

This bill (SF 4006) modifies Minnesota's election administration rules, primarily affecting county auditors, municipal clerks, and voters. Key changes include requiring clerks to have technical capacity and training to access the statewide voter registration system, extending absentee ballot delivery timelines to 46 days before most elections, and adding procedures to prevent absentee ballots from being mailed to incarcerated voters. It also updates how voter information is recorded in the state system when absentee ballots are processed. These changes aim to standardize election operations while clarifying responsibilities for local election officials.

This bill requires school districts in Minnesota that span multiple counties to designate at least one polling place within each county where more than 5,000 registered voters live. It also mandates that voters receive a mailed notice about special elections, which must include the election date, hours, polling location, the cost of holding the election, and the amount saved by using combined polling places. The notice must be sent at least 14 days before the election and posted on the school district's website, with specific exceptions for certain election dates and mail-in only elections. These changes directly affect school districts conducting special elections across county lines and the voters participating in those elections.

This bill prohibits tax preparers in Minnesota from marking a tax return to designate a contribution to the state elections campaign account unless the taxpayer explicitly instructs them to do so. The legislation amends existing standards of conduct for tax professionals to add this specific restriction, ensuring that political contributions are not made without clear authorization from the client. Directly affecting tax preparers and taxpayers, the measure aims to prevent unauthorized political donations while maintaining the current legal framework for tax preparation services.

This bill modifies Minnesota's campaign finance laws to require lobbyists and their principals to report specific spending details and to include disclaimers in advertisements that urge the public to contact officials. Under the new rules, lobbyists must report total spending on lobbying activities rounded to the nearest $5,000, including costs for staff, advertising, research, and administrative overhead. Additionally, any paid advertisement encouraging public contact with officials must display a clear disclaimer identifying the responsible individual or group and providing a phone number, email, or website. The legislation sets specific formatting requirements for these disclaimers based on the medium, such as font size for print and minimum display time for video, and imposes a penalty of up to $3,000 for non-compliance.

This bill proposes moving Minnesota's state primary election from August to March and updates the rules for how political parties nominate candidates for legislative and congressional offices. It establishes new requirements for campaign finance reporting, mandating that committees file specific reports at set intervals before primary and general elections, with different schedules depending on the type of office being contested. The legislation also expands reporting obligations for local elections and certain non-general election years to include entities that spend more than $200 on influencing nominations, independent expenditures, or ballot measures. These changes are designed to modernize the election process and increase transparency in campaign financing, taking effect on January 1, 2028.