Voter registration limitation to individuals who are at least 17 years old provision

A bill for an act

relating to elections; limiting voter preregistration to individuals who are at least

17 years of age; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 201.061, subdivision

1b; Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, sections 201.054, subdivision 1; 201.071,

subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 201.054, subdivision 1, is amended

to read:

Subdivision 1.

Registration.

(a) An individual may register to vote or update a voter

registration:

(1) at any time before the 20th day preceding any election as provided in section
201.061,

subdivision 1
;

(2) on the day of an election as provided in section
201.061, subdivision 3
; or

(3) when submitting an absentee ballot, by enclosing a completed registration application

as provided in section
203B.04, subdivision 4
.

(b) An individual who is under the age of 18, but who is at least
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17
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years of age and

otherwise eligible, may submit a voter registration application as provided in section
201.061
,

subdivisions 1 and 1b.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 201.061, subdivision 1b, is amended to read:

Subd. 1b.

Preregistration.

An individual who is under the age of 18, but who is at least
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16
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17
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years of age and meets all requirements for eligibility in section
201.014
, except for

age, may submit a voter registration application or be automatically registered under section

201.161
at the address in which the voter maintains residence pursuant to subdivision 1.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to entitle an individual to appear on a polling

place roster or cast a ballot at an election if the individual does not meet all eligibility

requirements for voting, including age.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 201.071, subdivision 1, is amended

to read:

Subdivision 1.

Form.

Both paper and electronic voter registration applications must

contain the same information unless otherwise provided by law. A voter registration

application must contain spaces for the following required information: voter's first name,

middle name, and last name; voter's previous name, if any; voter's current address; voter's

previous address, if any; voter's date of birth; voter's municipality and county of residence;

voter's telephone number, if provided by the voter; date of registration; current and valid

Minnesota driver's license number or Minnesota state identification number, or if the voter

has no current and valid Minnesota driver's license or Minnesota state identification, the

last four digits of the voter's Social Security number; and voter's signature. The paper

registration application must provide a space for a voter to provide a physical description

of the location of their residence, if the voter resides in an area lacking a specific physical

address. The description must be sufficient for the county auditor to identify the correct

precinct for the voter. The description may include the closest cross street or the nearest

address to the described location that is identified on a precinct map, and directions from

that cross street or address to the described location, including but not limited to the cardinal

direction and approximate distance to the location. The paper registration application may

include the voter's email address, if provided by the voter. The electronic voter registration

application must include the voter's email address. The registration application may include

the voter's interest in serving as an election judge, if indicated by the voter. The application

must also contain the following certification of voter eligibility:

"I certify that I:

(1) am at least
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years old and understand that I must be at least 18 years old to be

eligible to vote;

(2) am a citizen of the United States;

(3) will have maintained residence in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding

election day;

(4) maintain residence at the address or location given on the registration form;

(5) am not under court-ordered guardianship in which the court order revokes my right

to vote;

(6) have not been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote;

(7) am not currently incarcerated for a conviction of a felony offense; and

(8) have read and understand the following statement: that giving false information is a

felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment or a fine of not more than

$10,000, or both."

The certification must include boxes for the voter to respond to the following questions:

"(1) Are you a citizen of the United States?" and

"(2) Are you at least
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years old and will you be at least 18 years old on or before

the day of the election in which you intend to vote?"

And the instruction:

"If you checked 'no' to either of these questions, do not complete this form."

The form of the voter registration application and the certification of voter eligibility

must be as provided in this subdivision and approved by the secretary of state. Voter

registration forms authorized by the National Voter Registration Act must also be accepted

as valid. The federal postcard application form must also be accepted as valid if it is not

deficient and the voter is eligible to register in Minnesota.

An individual may use a voter registration application to apply to register to vote in

Minnesota or to update information on an existing registration.

Sec. 4.
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TRANSITION TO NEW VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS.
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Notwithstanding the requirements of this act, a completed voter registration application

submitted by a voter is not deficient for purposes of registering that voter if the application

form was printed or provided to the voter prior to the effective date of this act. Beginning

on the effective date of this act, an election official must not print, copy, or publicly distribute

a blank voter registration application that does not include the required modifications.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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Sec. 5.
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EFFECTIVE DATE.
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Except where otherwise provided, this act is effective July 1, 2026, and applies to voter

registration applications printed or submitted on or after that date.

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