Bill > HF1617

This bill improves the testing requirements for voting systems in Minnesota by extending several key procedural timelines and adding more comprehensive testing protocols. Specifically, the bill changes the pre-election testing timeline from three to ten days before absentee ballots are used, and increases the public notice requirement from two to five days in advance. The testing process now requires election officials to conduct a more rigorous examination of voting systems, including processing test ballots with uniquely valid votes for each candidate and intentionally including ballot cards with excess votes to verify the system's ability to reject invalid ballots. The bill mandates that the test must involve electronic ballot markers, audio ballot readers, and assistive voting technologies, ensuring comprehensive system verification. Additionally, the bill introduces a new requirement that a detailed precinct report by ballot style must be made publicly available within 24 hours of testing, enhancing transparency in the election preparation process. These changes aim to increase the reliability, accuracy, and public confidence in Minnesota's voting systems by implementing more thorough pre-election testing procedures.

Government Affairs

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1617&ssn=0&y=2025