Purpose

• The bill would require the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to study whether local candidates could use the board’s campaign finance reporting software to organize and track contributions, expenditures, and other data needed to file reports under Minnesota law.
• It also sets up a pilot program to test the software with real local elections, while keeping existing local filing responsibilities with local filing officers and not expanding the board’s control over candidate activities.

Main Provisions

• Subdivision 1 — Feasibility study

  • The board must study the feasibility of permitting local office candidates to use its reporting software to organize and track contributions, expenditures, and other data needed for filing reports required by Minnesota Statutes chapter 211A.
  • The study may assume that a candidate’s obligation to file reports with the local filing officer remains unchanged.
  • The board would have no jurisdiction over a candidate’s activities or compliance with reporting requirements.

• Subdivision 2 — Pilot project

  • As part of the study, the board must run a pilot project allowing candidates in at least four local jurisdictions that are holding a general election in 2026 to use the software.
  • The jurisdictions must include at least one county election, one city election, and one school district election.
  • At least half of the jurisdictions must be located outside the seven-county metropolitan area.

• Subdivision 3 — Required report

  • The board must prepare and send a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees that oversee elections.
  • The report should describe the study results and include any recommendations.
  • The report must be submitted no later than March 15, 2027.

Significance and Impact

• What this changes or introduces:
  • Establishes a formal feasibility study and a real-world pilot to test using the board’s software for local campaign reporting.
  • Keeps local filing duties with local officers, so the pilot does not shift primary authority away from local election offices.
  • Aims to determine whether a centralized reporting tool could help local candidates manage required reporting more efficiently.

Timeline and Scope

• Pilot timing: Conducted in connection with the 2026 general election.
• Reporting timeline: Final findings and recommendations due by March 15, 2027.
• Geographic scope: At least four local jurisdictions (county, city, and school district elections) with at least one outside the seven-county metro area.

Relationship to Existing Law

• The bill preserves current requirements that candidates file reports with local filing officers.
• It does not grant the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board jurisdiction over candidate activities or compliance during the pilot or beyond.

Practical Considerations

• If the pilot is successful, policymakers would consider broader use of the software for local campaign finance reporting.
• The study and pilot would assess practicality, cost, training needs, data integrity, and impacts on local filing processes.

Notes on Scope

• Local elections included: county, city, and school district elections.
• Metro area consideration: at least half of the pilot jurisdictions must be outside the seven-county metropolitan area.

Relevant Terms

• Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
• feasibility study
• pilot project
• local office candidates
• local filing officer
• Minnesota Statutes chapter 211A
• reporting software
• contributions
• expenditures
• data
• reports
• general election 2026
• county election
• city election
• school district election
• seven-county metropolitan area
• chairs
• ranking minority members
• legislative committees with jurisdiction over elections
• March 15, 2027