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Early-voting bill advances at Capitol
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Minnesotans are a step closer to being able to vote early without the hurdles of the state's beleaguered absentee-ballot system.
The House approved a bill today that would broadly overhaul the state's elections law, an effort that was given momentum by voting flaws uncovered by the long battle over the still-unresolved U.S. Senate race.
The House vote was 87 to 46, largely along party lines, with Democrats supporting the changes and Republicans opposing some. The bill is expected to go to a conference committee to be reconciled with a similar measure passed last week by the Senate.
The House version allows early voting in person 4 to 15 days before Election Day at places designed by local officials. The Senate bill extended the period to 18 days before Election Day.
The House also approved online registration through a website run by the Secretary of State.
The House defeated several Republican amendments that would have eliminated existing law allowing a registered voter to vouch for another who is registering and require that paper ballot instructions be in English.
The latter amendment prompted Rep. Cy Thao, DFL-St. Paul, who represents the heavily Hmong Frogtown district of the city, to challenge its supporter, Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha, to an English spelling contest.
"If I lose, I will vote for this amendment," Thao remarked.
While Drazkowski replied that he'd be willing to take Thao up on the challenge, the House quickly rejected the amendment.
Absent from the House bill but included in the Senate version are provisions to move up state primaries from September to June and allow special elections to fill vacancies from death or resignation of seats in the U.S. Senate or House.
While the latter provision would not apply to vacancies resulting from an election dispute, another provision in the Senate bill does grow out of the election recount involving Republican Norm Coleman and DFLer Al Franken. It prohibits a court from allowing candidates to veto decisions by county officials tallying rejected absentee ballots in an election recount, something the Minnesota Supreme Court allowed in the ongoing Senate dispute. The House bill does not include such a prohibition.
If the bills become law, . Minnesota would be the 33rd state to adopt early voting, part of a national trend of removing procedural barriers to voting.
Pat Doyle • 651-222-1210
Bob von Sternberg • 612-673-7184
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