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many of the administrative costs of the <br />current absentee ballot procedures. Many <br />states have implemented actual early voting <br />procedures for in -person voting and found <br />them to be a cost-effective and efficient <br />method to serve the voters. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports the adoption of legislation <br />establishing an early voting process. <br />SD-65. Absentee Voting <br />Issue: Current law allows in -person <br />absentee voting until 5:00 p.m. on the night <br />before the election. This does not leave <br />adequate time for election officials to <br />process absentee ballots and mark polling <br />place rosters to indicate which voters have <br />already cast absentee ballots prior to the <br />opening of the polls on Election Day. <br />Election officials are also faced with the <br />additional task of delivering supplemental <br />roster lists of such voters to the polls before <br />the polls open the next morning. The <br />current absentee voting process further <br />requires that a supplemental list of final <br />absentee voters be delivered to the polls <br />after the last mail delivery on Election Day <br />and often leads to administrative challenges <br />and increased potential for errors in the <br />process. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports: <br />a) Establishing an earlier deadline for <br />ending in -person absentee voting and <br />then utilizing an early voting system <br />for in -person voting prior to Election <br />Day; <br />b) Revising absentee ballot regulations to <br />allow any person over 18 to witness <br />the absentee process and sign the <br />envelope as a witness; and <br />c) Authorizing cities with health care <br />facilities to schedule election judges to <br />conduct absentee voting at an earlier <br />date in health care facilities. <br />SD-66. Felon Voting Rights <br />Restoration <br />Issue: There is confusion as to when felon <br />voting rights are restored, and notification of <br />restoration is inconsistent or nonexistent. <br />While there were some changes made to <br />data sharing requirements between the <br />Department of Corrections and the Office of <br />the Secretary of State in the 2013 legislative <br />session, the process of notifying felons of <br />their eligibility to vote was not improved. <br />This very often leads to challenges placed <br />on Election Day rosters for felons who are <br />not eligible to vote and election judges must <br />then challenge the voter and spend time and <br />resources determining a voter's eligibility. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports the restoration of voting <br />rights to felons once they have completed <br />their term of incarceration. This will <br />eliminate the administrative burden of <br />challenging voters at the polls and <br />determining eligibility from various <br />jurisdictions. This will also eliminate the <br />need for investigation by local law <br />enforcement of those who have <br />unknowingly registered to vote or voted <br />before their rights were restored. <br />SD-67. Write-in Candidates in City <br />Elections <br />Issue: For federal, state and county offices, <br />write-in candidates are totaled together as <br />one number for write-in votes. If a candidate <br />wants the write-in votes to be individually <br />recorded, the candidate must file a written <br />request with the Secretary of State no later <br />than seven days before the general or special <br />Election Day. This provides any declared <br />write-in candidate the same provisions for <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2015 City Policies Page 42 <br />