Purpose

• The bill changes how data about election judges’ political party affiliation is handled under Minnesota’s data practices laws. It makes the major political party affiliation of election judges public data and requires new record-keeping. It also removes a prior rule that limited how that information could be shared for party-balance checks.

Main Provisions and What the Bill Seeks to Accomplish

• Election judge party affiliation classification: Adds a rule that the party affiliation of election judges is classified as described in another law (section 204B.21 subdivision 4).
• Public list of election judges’ major party affiliation: Requires the appointing authority to maintain a list of all election judges that shows each judge’s major political party affiliation or a statement that the judge does not affiliate with a major party. This list is public data on individuals.
• Repeal of the old internal-sharing rule: Repeals the previous provision that allowed sharing a judge’s major party affiliation with other election judges in the same precinct only for verifying party balance, and that the data could not be used for any other purpose.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Data openness: Election judge major party affiliation becomes public data (public data on individuals) under the updated provisions.
• Administrative duty: Appointing authorities must create and maintain a public list of election judges and their major party affiliation.
• Privacy/usage shift: The old mechanism that allowed limited internal sharing among election judges for balance verification is repealed, changing how the information can be accessed and used.

Relevant Terms - data practices - election judge - party affiliation - major political party - public data on individuals - appointing authority - list of election judges - party balance requirements - Minnesota Statutes 2024 - 13.607 Subd.10 - 204B.21 Subd.4 - Subd.3 (repealed)