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full 46 days is not efficient as these sites <br />may be underutilized until closer to Election <br />Day. Cities should be able to determine the <br />length of time most appropriate for <br />alternative sites to meet the voting demands <br />of their residents. As required by state law, <br />voters would maintain the ability to vote in - <br />person absentee during the full 46-day <br />period at city halls. <br />Current law allows for in -person absentee <br />voting until 5:00 p.m. on the day before <br />Election Day. This does not leave adequate <br />time for election officials to process <br />absentee ballots, prepare supplemental lists <br />indicating which voters have already cast <br />absentee ballots and deliver the lists to <br />precincts prior to opening of the polls on <br />Election Day. The current absentee voting <br />process further requires that additional <br />supplemental lists of final absentee voters be <br />delivered to the polls after the last mail <br />delivery on Election Day and often leads to <br />administrative challenges and increased <br />potential for errors in the process. <br />As more and more voters choose to vote <br />early with absentee balloting, improvements <br />must be made to increase efficiency of <br />administering absentee balloting before <br />Election Day, reduce the potential for errors, <br />and to improve voter experience. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports: <br />a) Reviewing the current in -person <br />absentee ballot application process to <br />determine if paper, electronic or a <br />combination of the two application <br />processes would be more efficient and <br />be preferable to voters; <br />b) Increasing the time period that an in - <br />person absentee voter can place their <br />ballot directly into a tabulator from <br />seven to 46 days; <br />c) Eliminating the option to place an in - <br />person absentee ballot in a series of <br />envelopes instead of a tabulator; <br />d) Allowing alternative in -person <br />absentee voting sites to be established <br />for less than the full 46 days currently <br />required by state law; <br />e) Establishing an earlier deadline for <br />ending in -person absentee voting; <br />f} Revising absentee ballot regulations to <br />allow any person 18 and older to <br />witness the absentee process and sign <br />the envelope as a witness; and <br />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 />g} <br />SD-69. 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 />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2018 City Policies Page 46 <br />