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S.F. No. 2288 - Electronic Voter Registration (First Engrossment)
 
Author: Senator Katie Sieben
 
Prepared By: Alexis C. Stangl, Senate Counsel (651/296-4397)
 
Date: March 16, 2014



 

S.F. No. 2288 provides for electronic voter registration and electronic absentee ballot applications.  An applicant must provide information that is verified against information in a government database before the application may be processed.  Suspicious activity related to an electronic application must be investigated. 

Section 1 allows an individual to submit a completed voter registration application electronically through a secure Web site maintained by the secretary of state.  The applicant must have an email address and provide the applicant’s verifiable Minnesota driver’s license number, Minnesota state ID card number, or the last four digits of the applicant’s social security number.  An application submitted electronically may only be sent to the county auditor for processing if the secretary of state has verified the application information matches the information in a government database.  The secretary of state must review all unverifiable applications for evidence of suspicious activity and forward any suspicious applications to an appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation.  An individual is prohibited from submitting an electronic application on behalf of any other individual. 

Sections 2, 8, and 10 require the secretary of state to maintain a log of each IP address used to submit electronic applications.  The secretary of state must monitor the log for suspicious activity and report any suspicious activity to an appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation.  The system must be fully secure, maintain the confidentiality and integrity of the data.  Data must be encrypted.  The secretary of state must work with the chief information officer to perform an annual security audit. 

Section 3 specifies that both the paper and electronic voter registration applications must contain the same information unless otherwise provided by law.  For an electronic voter registration, the applicant must include an email address. 

Section 4 states that a voter registration application that was submitted electronically prior to the effective date is not invalid because of its electronic submission. 

Section 5 specifies that both paper and electronic voter registration applications must be maintained for 22 months.  Data contained on an application must be maintained in its original form, in a manner suitable for printing, for 22 months.  The IP address used to submit an application must be maintained with the application data. 

Section 6 specifies when a law enforcement agency is investigating and prosecuting a matter related to an electronic voter registration application, the violation may be investigated and prosecuted in the county in which the individual registered or attempted to register. 

Section 7 allows an individual to apply for an absentee ballot through a secure Web site maintained by the secretary of state.  The secretary of state must require an applicant  to provide an email address, a verifiable Minnesota driver’s license number, Minnesota state ID card number, or the last four digits of the applicant’s social security number.  An application submitted electronically may only be sent to the county auditor for processing if the secretary of state has verified the application information matches the information in a government database.  The secretary of state must review all unverifiable applications for evidence of suspicious activity and forward any suspicious applications to an appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation. 

Section 9 allows military and overseas (UOCAVA) voters to submit an application for an absentee ballot through a secure Web site maintained by the secretary of state.  The application must include the voter’s email address and a verifiable Minnesota driver’s license number, Minnesota state ID card number, or the last four digits of the applicant’s social security number.  An application submitted electronically may only be sent to the county auditor for processing if the secretary of state has verified the application information matches the information in a government database.  The secretary of state must review all unverifiable applications for evidence of suspicious activity and forward any suspicious applications to an appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation. 

Section 11 provides an immediate effective date.

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