Subdivision 1. Authority. A county, municipality, or school district may use electronic rosters for any election. In a county, municipality, or school district that uses electronic rosters, the head elections official may designate that some or all of the precincts use electronic rosters. An electronic roster must comply with all of the requirements of this section. An electronic roster must include information required in section 201.221, subdivision 3, and any rules adopted pursuant to that section.

Subd. 2. Technology requirements. An electronic roster must:

(1) be able to be loaded with a data file that includes voter registration data in a file format prescribed by the secretary of state;

(2) allow for data to be exported in a file format prescribed by the secretary of state;

(3) allow for data to be entered manually or by scanning a Minnesota driver's license or identification card to locate a voter record or populate a voter registration application that would be printed and signed and dated by the voter. The printed registration application can be either a printed form, labels printed with voter information to be affixed to a preprinted form, or a combination of both;

(4) allow an election judge to update data that was populated from a scanned driver's license or identification card;

(5) cue an election judge to ask for and input data that is not populated from a scanned driver's license or identification card that is otherwise required to be collected from the voter or an election judge;

(6) immediately alert the election judge if the voter has provided information that indicates that the voter is not eligible to vote;

(7) immediately alert the election judge if the electronic roster indicates that a voter has already voted in that precinct, the voter's registration status is challenged, or it appears the voter resides in a different precinct;

(8) provide immediate instructions on how to resolve a particular type of challenge when a voter's record is challenged;

(9) provide for a printed voter signature certificate, containing the voter's name, address of residence, date of birth, voter identification number, the oath required by section 204C.10, and a space for the voter's original signature. The printed voter signature certificate can be either a printed form or a label printed with the voter's information to be affixed to the oath;

(10) contain only preregistered voters within the precinct, and not contain preregistered voter data on voters registered outside of the precinct;

(11) be only networked within the polling location on election day, except for the purpose of updating absentee ballot records;

(12) meet minimum security, reliability, and networking standards established by the Office of the Secretary of State in consultation with the Office of MN.IT Services;

(13) be capable of providing a voter's correct polling place; and

(14) perform any other functions necessary for the efficient and secure administration of the participating election, as determined by the secretary of state.

Electronic rosters used only for election day registration do not need to comply with clauses (1), (8), and (10). Electronic rosters used only for preregistered voter processing do not need to comply with clauses (4) and (5).

Subd. 3. Minnesota Election Law; other law. Unless otherwise provided, the provisions of the Minnesota Election Law apply to the use of electronic rosters. Voters participating in the safe at home program must be allowed to vote pursuant to section 5B.06. Nothing in this section shall be construed to amend absentee voting provisions in chapter 203B.

Subd. 4. Election records retention. All voter signature certificates and voter registration applications printed from an electronic roster must be retained pursuant to section 204B.40. The electronic rosters must print voter signature certificates and voter registration applications on material that will remain legible through the period prescribed by section 204B.40. Data on election day registrants and voter history must be uploaded to the statewide voter registration system for processing by county auditors.

Subd. 5. Election day. (a) Precincts may use electronic rosters for election day registration, to process preregistered voters, or both. The printed election day registration applications must be reviewed when electronic records are processed in the statewide voter registration system. The election judges shall determine the number of ballots to be counted by counting the number of original voter signature certificates or the number of voter receipts.

(b) Each precinct using electronic rosters shall have a paper backup system approved by the secretary of state present at the polling place to use in the event that the election judges are unable to use the electronic roster.

Subd. 6. Reporting; certification. (a) A county, municipality, or school district that intends to use electronic rosters in an upcoming election must notify the Office of the Secretary of State at least 90 days before the first election in which the county, municipality, or school district intends to use electronic rosters. The notification must specify whether all precincts will use electronic rosters, and if not, specify which precincts will be using electronic rosters. The notification is valid for all subsequent elections, unless revoked by the county, municipality, or school district. If precincts within a county, municipality, or school district that were not included in the initial notification intend to use electronic rosters, a new notification must be submitted.

(b) The county, municipality, or school district that intends to use electronic rosters must certify to the Office of the Secretary of State at least 30 days before the election that the electronic rosters meet all of the requirements in this section.

History: 2014 c 288 art 1 s 1; 2016 c 158 art 1 s 78