SF1217 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))
Absentee and early voting polling places challengers authorization provision
Related bill: HF992
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
To authorize and regulate challengers at polling places for absentee and early voting, and to update related election procedures. The bill clarifies who may act as a challenger, where they may be stationed, residency requirements, and conduct rules to govern challengers during elections.
Who can appoint challengers and where
- Partisan elections: the chair of each major political party can appoint voters from that party to act as challengers at each precinct, with a limit of one challenger per major party per precinct.
- Nonpartisan elections: each nonpartisan candidate may appoint voters to act as challengers at each precinct, with a limit of one challenger per candidate per precinct.
- Elections on a question (e.g., local measures): if at least 25 eligible voters sign a petition, the mayor, school board chair, or town board must appoint one challenger per precinct for that election.
- All challengers are appointed by written certification.
Residency and eligibility of challengers
- Challengers must be residents of Minnesota.
- To serve, challengers must prove residency with documents allowed under Minnesota law.
- Challengers serving in a precinct polling place do not need to prove residency in the specific precinct.
Conduct and access at polling places
- Election judges may not be challengers.
- People authorized to perform certain election duties during early voting or absentee voting cannot be challengers.
- Challengers may be present in the polling place during voting hours and must be allowed to stay until votes are counted and results declared.
- Before election day, challengers must be allowed to remain in the polling place until ballots are secured at close of voting.
- Challengers must not handle or inspect registration cards or lists, must not compile lists of who has or has not voted, and must not try to influence how people vote.
- Challengers must not converse with voters, in line with existing rules for election procedures.
Prohibited practices and penalties
- Challengers and their party affiliates must not compile lists of voters to challenge based on undelivered mail or unacknowledged delivery, including roles of subcontractors or other agents.
- Violating these prohibitions is a gross misdemeanor.
Changes to existing law
- Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 204C.07 to define and govern challengers in partisan, nonpartisan, and question-based elections, including appointment processes, residency, and conduct.
- Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 204C.12 subdivision 1 to align scope and procedures for challenging, allowing challenges based on personal knowledge that an individual is not an eligible voter.
- Reviser instruction to codify 204C.07 subdivision 1b as 204C.07 subdivision 1a.
Summary of intent
This bill formalizes and limits the role of challengers at polling places, ensuring challengers are state residents, appointed in writing, and operate under specific conduct rules to protect voters while enabling election observers to perform their duties.
Potential considerations
- It sets specific limits on how many challengers can be present per precinct and who may appoint them.
- It restricts interaction with voters and handling of voter lists.
- It introduces penalties for improper challenger conduct.
Relevant Terms challengers; polling place; absentee voting; early voting; precinct; partisan elections; major political party; nonpartisan elections; elections on a question; petition; residency; section 203B.081; election judge; registration cards; lists of voters; influence voting; converse with a voter; gross misdemeanor; undeliverable mail; certified written appointment; candidate; appointed by written certificate; residence verification; personal knowledge of ineligible voter.
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 10, 2025 | Senate | Action | Introduction and first reading | ||
| February 10, 2025 | Senate | Action | Referred to | Elections |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Definition of polling place to include locations where voters may vote early or cast an in-person absentee ballot within 18 days before the election, as provided in section 203B.081.",
"Authority for chairs of major political party committees to appoint challengers by written certificate for each precinct.",
"Limit of one challenger per major political party per precinct."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Defines polling place and establishes partisan challengers; authorizes chairs of major party committees to appoint challengers per precinct; limits one challenger per party per precinct.",
"modified": [
"Reorganizes and codifies challenger provisions under a CHALLENGERS framework."
]
},
"citation": "204C.07",
"subdivision": "subd. 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Nonpartisan candidates may appoint voters to act as challengers for each precinct.",
"Only one challenger per candidate per precinct."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Extends challenger appointments to nonpartisan elections.",
"modified": [
"Expands the challenger framework to nonpartisan elections."
]
},
"citation": "204C.07",
"subdivision": "subd. 2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"On a question election, a mayor, school board, or town board may appoint one voter per precinct via written certificate if a petition signed by at least 25 eligible voters is delivered to the appropriate clerk.",
"Appointment applies to each precinct polling place in the municipality or school district, if applicable."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Provides for challenger appointments in elections on a question via petition.",
"modified": [
"Creates a process for appointing challengers in question elections."
]
},
"citation": "204C.07",
"subdivision": "subd. 3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Challenger must be a resident of Minnesota."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Establishes residency requirement for challengers.",
"modified": [
"Adds explicit residency verification requirement for challengers."
]
},
"citation": "204C.07",
"subdivision": "subd. 3a"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Election judge must not be appointed as a challenger.",
"In polling places with early voting or absentee voting, a person authorized to perform the duties under section 203B.081(3) must not be appointed as a challenger.",
"Challengers must be permitted to be present during voting hours; must comply with voting procedures; must not handle or inspect registration cards or lists; must not prepare lists of who has or has not voted; must not attempt to influence voters; must not converse with a voter per section 204C.12."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Sets conduct restrictions for challengers and related roles.",
"modified": [
"Clarifies interaction between election duties and challengers; reinforces conduct restrictions."
]
},
"citation": "204C.07",
"subdivision": "subd. 4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Challengers and appointing parties must not compile lists of voters to challenge based on undeliverable mail or unacknowledged registered mail.",
"Applies to any local, state, or national party affiliate, as well as subcontractors, vendors, or other agents acting on behalf of a party."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Prohibits certain types of challenges and sets penalties.",
"modified": [
"Imposes prohibitions on certain challenge practices and imposes penalties (gross misdemeanor)."
]
},
"citation": "204C.07",
"subdivision": "subd. 5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"This section applies to challengers in polling places as defined in 204C.07(1).",
"A person authorized to perform duties under 203B.081(3) must perform the functions required of an election judge by this section."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Defines scope and manner of challenging; aligns challengers with election duties.",
"modified": [
"Clarifies the relationship between 204C.12 and the challenger framework in 204C.07."
]
},
"citation": "204C.12",
"subdivision": "subd. 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Challengers seeking admission to a polling place must prove residency in Minnesota using documents listed in section 201.061, subdivision 3."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Residency verification for challenger admission.",
"modified": [
"Links residency verification for challengers to the specified documents in 201.061, subd. 3."
]
},
"citation": "201.061",
"subdivision": "subd. 3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"A person authorized to perform the election duties required by 203B.081, subdivision 3 must perform the functions required of an election judge under this section."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Connects election duties to challenges; clarifies who may perform duties.",
"modified": [
"Ensures consistency between 203B.081 and 204C.12 in terms of election duties and challenger involvement."
]
},
"citation": "203B.081",
"subdivision": "subd. 3"
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee