§ 201.225 — ELECTRONIC ROSTER AUTHORIZATION

Minnesota § 201.225

• Jurisdiction: Minnesota
• Part: ELECTIONS
• Ch. 201: ELIGIBILITY AND REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

Text

Subdivision 1.Authority.
A county, municipality, or school district may use electronic rosters for any election. In a county, municipality, or school district that uses electronic rosters, the head elections official may designate that some or all of the precincts use electronic rosters. An electronic roster must comply with all of the requirements of this section. An electronic roster must include information required in section201.221, subdivision 3, and any rules adopted pursuant to that section.

Subd. 2.Technology requirements.
An electronic roster must:
(1) be able to be loaded with a data file that includes voter registration data in a file format prescribed by the secretary of state;
(2) allow for data to be exported in a file format prescribed by the secretary of state;
(3) allow for data to be entered manually or by scanning a Minnesota driver's license or identification card to locate a voter record or populate a voter registration application that would be printed and signed and dated by the voter. The printed registration application can be a printed form, a label printed with voter information to be affixed to a preprinted form, a combination of a form and label, or an electronic record that the voter signs electronically and is printed following its completion at the polling place;
(4) allow an election judge to update data that was populated from a scanned driver's license or identification card;
(5) cue an election judge to ask for and input data that is not populated from a scanned driver's license or identification card that is otherwise required to be collected from the voter or an election judge;
(6) immediately alert the election judge if the voter has provided information that indicates that the voter is not eligible to vote;
(7) immediately alert the election judge if the electronic roster indicates that a voter has already voted in that precinct, the voter's registration status is challenged, or it appears the voter maintains residence in a different precinct;
(8) provide immediate instructions on how to resolve a particular type of challenge when a voter's record is challenged;
(9) provide for a printed voter signature certificate, containing the voter's name, address of residence, date of birth, voter identification number, the oath required by section204C.10, and a space for the voter's original signature. The printed voter signature certificate can be a printed form, a label printed with the voter's information to be affixed to the oath, or an electronic record that the voter signs electronically and is printed following its completion at the polling place;
(10) contain only registered voters within the precinct, and not contain registered voter data on voters registered outside of the precinct, unless being utilized for a combined polling place pursuant to section204B.14, subdivision 2, absentee or early voting under chapter 203B, or for mail balloting on election day pursuant to section204B.45, subdivision 2a;
(11) be only networked within the polling location on election day, except for the purpose of updating absentee ballot records;
(12) meet minimum security, reliability, and networking standards established by the Office of the Secretary of State in consultation with the Department of Information Technology Services;
(13) be capable of providing a voter's correct polling place; and
(14) perform any other functions necessary for the efficient and secure administration of the participating election, as determined by the secretary of state.
Electronic rosters used only for registering voters and updating voters' registration do not need to comply with clauses (1), (8), and (10). Electronic rosters used only for processing voters who are registered and do not need to update a registration do not need to comply with clauses (4) and (5).

Subd. 3.Minnesota Election Law; other law.
Unless otherwise provided, the provisions of the Minnesota Election Law apply to the use of electronic rosters. Voters participating in the safe at home program must be allowed to vote pursuant to section5B.06. Nothing in this section shall be construed to amend absentee voting provisions in chapter 203B.

Subd. 4.Election records retention.
All voter signature certificates and voter registration applications printed from an electronic roster must be retained pursuant to section204B.40. The electronic rosters must print voter signature certificates and voter registration applications on material that will remain legible through the period prescribed by section204B.40. Data on election day registrants and voter history must be uploaded to the statewide voter registration system for processing by county auditors.

Subd. 5.Election day.
(a) Precincts may use electronic rosters for registering voters and updating registrations on election day, to process registered voters, or both. The printed election day registration applications must be reviewed when electronic records are processed in the statewide voter registration system. The election judges must determine the number of ballots to be counted by counting the number of original voter signature certificates or the number of voter receipts.
(b) Each precinct using electronic rosters must have a paper backup system approved by the secretary of state present at the polling place to use in the event that the election judges are unable to use the electronic roster.

Subd. 6.Reporting; certification.
(a) A county, municipality, or school district that intends to use electronic rosters in an upcoming election must notify the Office of the Secretary of State at least 90 days before the first election in which the county, municipality, or school district intends to use electronic rosters. The notification must specify whether all precincts will use electronic rosters, and if not, specify which precincts will be using electronic rosters. The notification is valid for all subsequent elections, unless revoked by the county, municipality, or school district. If precincts within a county, municipality, or school district that were not included in the initial notification intend to use electronic rosters, a new notification must be submitted.
(b) The county, municipality, or school district that intends to use electronic rosters must certify to the Office of the Secretary of State at least 30 days before the election that the electronic rosters meet all of the requirements in this section.

Legislative History

2014 c 288 art 1 s 1;2016 c 158 art 1 s 78;2021 c 31 art 2 s 16;2023 c 62 art 4 s 26;2025 c 39 art 8 s 22,23