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Response: While the League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports increasing access to <br />information through the use of city <br />websites, the League also urges the <br />Legislature to revisit the length of time <br />required to keep reports online. <br />SD-73. Electronic Rosters <br />Issue: While electronic rosters (or "e-poll <br />books") may increase efficiency and <br />decrease cost for some cities, this may not <br />be true for all. As cities explore the use of <br />electronic rosters, data collected from the <br />Office of the Secretary of State and from <br />jurisdictions that have used the technology, <br />may be helpful in determining next steps <br />and to improve the process. Currently when <br />a voter verifies their identity at a polling <br />place via an electronic roster, they sign a <br />paper form. State law does not allow voters <br />to sign the e-poll book. <br />Response: As the Legislature continues to <br />examine the use of electronic rosters, <br />cities should retain the option of utilizing <br />this technology but should not be <br />required to do so. If cities choose to use e- <br />poll books, the use of electronic signatures <br />should be allowed to increase efficiency. <br />To ensure there is a paper copy of the <br />signatures, the receipts printed by the <br />electronic rosters should include a copy of <br />the voter's signature. <br />SD-74. Election Judge Recruitment <br />and Retention <br />Issue: Nearly 30,000 Minnesotans serve as <br />election judges. The recruitment and <br />retention of election judges is a significant <br />and essential component of administering <br />elections throughout the State of Minnesota. <br />State statute requires that precincts with <br />more than 500 registered voters be assigned <br />at least four election judges and those with <br />fewer than 500 registered voters be assigned <br />at least three election judges. Minn. Stat. § <br />204B.21 requires that at least two election <br />judges in each precinct serve with a different <br />major political party designation, except for <br />student trainee election judges. The <br />remaining election judges in a precinct can <br />serve without an affiliation to a major <br />political party and no more than half the <br />judges in a precinct may belong to the same <br />major political party. Increasingly, political <br />party affiliation has proven to be <br />unnecessary for appointed city clerk and <br />hired city staff serving as election judges <br />during the absentee balloting time period. <br />Political party affiliation is also unnecessary <br />in city special elections when offices on the <br />ballot are nonpartisan. <br />Minn. Stat. § 204B.19 allows high school <br />students to be excused from school to serve <br />as a trainee election judge if the student <br />submits a written request signed and <br />approved by the student's parent or guardian <br />to be absent from school and a certificate <br />from the appointing authority stating the <br />hours during which the student will serve as <br />a trainee election judge to the principal of <br />the school at least ten days prior to the <br />election. This process is not currently <br />extended to college students which has <br />proven to be a barrier for recruiting college <br />students to serve as election judges. <br />Additionally, teachers and college faculty <br />are also allowed to take time off of work to <br />serve as an election judge. <br />Response: To ensure state requirements <br />are met and to expand the opportunity of <br />serving as an election judge to others, the <br />League of Minnesota Cities supports the <br />following changes: <br />a) Eliminate the party balance <br />requirement of appointed clerks and <br />hired staff administering absentee <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2018 City Policies Page 48 <br />