Postsecondary institutions voter registration requirements modifications

A bill for an act

relating to elections; modifying student voter registration requirements for

postsecondary institutions; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 201.1611.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 201.1611, is amended to read:

201.1611 POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTION AND SCHOOL DISTRICT VOTER

REGISTRATION.

Subdivision 1.

Forms.

(a) All postsecondary institutions that enroll students accepting

state or federal financial aid must provide
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Minnesota
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voter registration forms
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and information

about how to register to vote and request and submit an absentee ballot in all other 49 states
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to each student during the fall and spring of each year. In state election years, it must be

provided 15 days in advance of the deadline for registering to vote for the state general

election. If the voter registration forms are provided electronically, the electronic message

must be devoted exclusively to voter registration.

(b) All school districts must make available paper or electronic voter registration

applications each May and September to all students registered as students of the school

district who are eligible to register or preregister to vote. A school district has no obligation

to provide voter registration applications to students who participate in a postsecondary

education option program or who otherwise maintain residence in the district but do not

attend a school operated by the district. A school district fulfills its obligation to a student

under this section if it provides a voter registration application to the student one time.

(c) The voter registration forms must contain spaces for the information required in

section
201.071, subdivision 1
, and applicable rules of the secretary of state. The institutions

and school districts may request these forms from the secretary of state. Institutions must

consult with their campus student government in determining the most effective means of

distributing the forms and in seeking to facilitate election day registration of students under

section
201.061, subdivision 3
. School districts must advise students that completion of the

voter registration application is not a school district requirement.

(d) The institutions must report to the secretary of state by November 30 of each year

on their implementation of this section. At a minimum, the report must include how and

when the forms were distributed and the voter engagement plan under subdivision 3,

paragraph
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(b)
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(c)
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, clause (2). Institutions may include information about methods that were

effective in increasing student registrations.

(e) By February 1 of each year, the secretary of state must report to the chairs and ranking

minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over elections on the

information under paragraph (d). The secretary must highlight best practices and innovative

methods that were most effective in registering students to vote.

Subd. 2.

Student voter registration.

A copy of each completed voter registration form

must be sent to the county auditor of the county in which the voter maintains residence or

to the secretary of state as soon as possible. All completed voter registration forms must be

forwarded no later than 21 days before the general election.

Subd. 3.

Voter information.

(a) All postsecondary institutions that enroll students

accepting state or federal financial aid must maintain a webpage to share resources to help

students determine where and how they are eligible to vote. The webpage must include the

following:

(1) resources from state and local election officials on voter registration and voting

requirements including voter registration deadlines; residency requirements; acceptable

methods of proving residency for same day registration, as applicable; and absentee voting

options;

(2) applicable deadlines for requesting and submitting an absentee ballot, as well as

additional options for early and in-person voting, and voting on election day;

(3) resources to help students who are registered in another state to apply for absentee

ballots in that state, and may include resources from state and local election officials from

that state;

(4) the campus vote coordinator's name and contact information; and

(5) the voter engagement plan required by paragraph
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(b)
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(c)
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, clause (2).

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(b) All postsecondary institutions that enroll students accepting state or federal financial

aid must provide a voter registration form and an absentee ballot request form applicable

to a student's home state upon the student's request.

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(b)
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(c)
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All postsecondary institutions that enroll students accepting state or federal

financial aid must designate a staff person as the campus vote coordinator. The campus vote

coordinator must:

(1) ensure the institution complies with this section; and

(2) consult with the campus student association to develop a voter engagement plan that

identifies goals and activities, resources to accomplish the identified goals and activities,

and individual or key departments responsible for executing the identified goals and activities.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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