1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to elections; making various changes to election law provisions including 
1.3 	provisions related to voter registration, absentee ballots, election day activities, 
1.4 	state general election ballots, municipal elections, school district elections, voting, 
1.5 	campaigns, hospital district elections, and redistricting;amending Minnesota 
1.6 	Statutes 2012, sections 103C.305, subdivision 3; 201.071, subdivision 2; 
1.7 	203B.081; 203B.227; 204B.04, by adding a subdivision; 204B.18, subdivision 2; 
1.8 	204B.32, subdivision 1; 204B.36, subdivision 1; 204C.14; 204C.19, subdivision 
1.9 	2; 204C.25; 204C.27; 204D.08, subdivision 6; 204D.11, subdivisions 1, 4, 5, 
1.10 	6; 204D.13, subdivision 3; 204D.14, subdivisions 1, 3; 204D.15, subdivision 
1.11 	3; 205.13, subdivision 1a; 205.17, subdivisions 1, 3; 205A.05, subdivision 2; 
1.12 	205A.08, subdivision 1; 206.61, subdivision 4; 206.895; 208.04, subdivision 2; 
1.13 	211B.045; 447.32, subdivision 3; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.14 	Statutes, chapter 2; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 204B.42; 
1.15 	204D.11, subdivisions 2, 3; 205.17, subdivisions 2, 4; 205A.08, subdivision 4.
1.16 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.17 	Section 1. [2.395] THIRTY-NINTH DISTRICT.
1.18 		Subdivision 1.Senate district. Senate District 39 consists of that district as 
1.19 	described in the order of the Minnesota Special Redistricting Panel in Hippert v. Ritchie, 
1.20 	No. A11-152 (February 21, 2012).
1.21 		Subd. 2.House of representatives districts. Notwithstanding the order of the 
1.22 	Minnesota Special Redistricting Panel in Hippert v. Ritchie, No. A11-152 (February 
1.23 	21, 2012), Senate District 39, as described in that order, is divided into two house of 
1.24 	representatives districts as follows:
1.25 	(a) House of Representatives District 39A consists of that district as described in 
1.26 	file L39A-1, on file with the Geographic Information Systems Office of the Legislative 
1.27 	Coordinating Commission and published on its Web site on March 9, 2012.
2.1 	(b) House of Representatives District 39B consists of that district as described in 
2.2 	file L39B-1, on file with the Geographic Information Systems Office of the Legislative 
2.3 	Coordinating Commission and published on its Web site on March 9, 2012.

2.4 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the state primary and state general 
2.5 	elections conducted in 2014 for terms of office beginning on the first Monday in January 
2.6 	2015, and for all elections held thereafter.

2.7 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 103C.305, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
2.8 		Subd. 3.Ballots. Ballots shall be prepared by the county auditor. The names of 
2.9 	candidates shall be placed on the "canary ballot" described in section 204D.11, subdivision 
2.10 	3 state general election ballot. The office title printed on the ballot must be either "Soil 
2.11 	and Water Conservation District Supervisor" or "Conservation District Supervisor," based 
2.12 	upon the district from which the supervisor is to be elected.

2.13 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 201.071, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.14 		Subd. 2.Instructions. A registration application shall be accompanied by 
2.15 	instructions specifying the manner and method of registration, the qualifications for 
2.16 	voting, the penalties for false registration, and the availability of registration and voting 
2.17 	assistance for elderly and disabled individuals and residents of health care facilities and 
2.18 	hospitals. The instructions must indicate that if the voter does not have a valid Minnesota 
2.19 	driver's license or identification card, the last four digits of the voter's Social Security 
2.20 	number must be provided, unless the voter does not have a Social Security number. If, 
2.21 	prior to election day, a person requests the instructions in Braille, on cassette tape audio 
2.22 	format, or in a version printed in 16-point bold type with 24-point leading, the county 
2.23 	auditor shall provide them in the form requested. The secretary of state shall prepare 
2.24 	Braille and cassetteaudio copies and make them available.

2.25 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 203B.081, is amended to read:
2.26 	203B.081 LOCATIONS FOR ABSENTEE VOTING IN PERSON.
2.27 	An eligible voter may vote by absentee ballot in the office of the county auditor and 
2.28 	at any other polling place designated by the county auditor during the 46 days before: the 
2.29 	election, except as provided in this subdivision.
2.30 	(1) a regularly scheduled election for federal, state, county, city, or school board 
2.31 	office;
2.32 	(2) a special election for a federal or county office; and
3.1 	(3) an election held in conjunction with an election described in clauses (1) and (2),
3.2 	andVoters casting absentee ballots in person for a town election held in March may 
3.3 	do so during the 30 days before any otherthe election. The county auditor shall make 
3.4 	such designations at least 14 weeks before the election. At least one voting booth in each 
3.5 	polling place must be made available by the county auditor for this purpose. The county 
3.6 	auditor must also make available at least one electronic ballot marker in each polling place 
3.7 	that has implemented a voting system that is accessible for individuals with disabilities 
3.8 	pursuant to section 206.57, subdivision 5.

3.9 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 203B.227, is amended to read:
3.10 	203B.227 WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT.
3.11 	(a) A voter described in section 203B.16, subdivision 1, may use a state write-in 
3.12 	absentee ballot or the federal write-in absentee ballot to vote in any federal, state, or local 
3.13 	election. In a state or local election, a vote for a political party without specifying the 
3.14 	name of a candidate must not be counted.
3.15 	(b) If a voter submits a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot for which a Federal Post 
3.16 	Card Application was not received, the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot serves as a voter 
3.17 	registration, for voters who are eligible to register, in lieu of the voter's Federal Post Card 
3.18 	Application. If the voter has not already voted and the accompanying certificate is properly 
3.19 	completed, the absentee ballot board must accept the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot.

3.20 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204B.04, is amended by adding a subdivision 
3.21 	to read:
3.22 		Subd. 4.Prohibition on multiple candidacy. A candidate who files an affidavit 
3.23 	of candidacy for an office to be elected at the general election may not subsequently file 
3.24 	another affidavit of candidacy for any other office to be elected on the date of that general 
3.25 	election.

3.26 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204B.18, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
3.27 		Subd. 2.Ballot boxes. Each polling place shall be provided with one ballot box for 
3.28 	each kind of ballot to be cast at the election. The boxes shall be substantially the same color 
3.29 	as the ballots to be deposited in them. Each box shall be of sufficient size and shall have a 
3.30 	sufficient opening to receive and contain all the ballots likely to be deposited in it. When 
3.31 	buff or goldenrod ballot boxes are required, a separate box must be provided for each school 
3.32 	district for which ballots are to be cast at that polling place. The number and name of the 
3.33 	school district must appear conspicuously on the top of each buff or goldenrod ballot box.

4.1 	Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204B.32, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
4.2 		Subdivision 1.Payment. (a) The secretary of state shall pay the compensation for 
4.3 	presidential electors, the cost of printing the pink paper ballots, and all necessary expenses 
4.4 	incurred by the secretary of state in connection with elections.
4.5 	(b) The counties shall pay the compensation prescribed in section 204B.31, clauses 
4.6 	(b) and (c), the cost of printing the canary ballots, the white ballots, the pink state general 
4.7 	election ballots when machines are used, the state partisan primary ballots, and the 
4.8 	state and county nonpartisan primary ballots, all necessary expenses incurred by county 
4.9 	auditors in connection with elections, and the expenses of special county elections.
4.10 	(c) Subject to subdivision 2, the municipalities shall pay the compensation prescribed 
4.11 	for election judges and sergeants at arms, the cost of printing the municipal ballots, 
4.12 	providing ballot boxes, providing and equipping polling places and all necessary expenses 
4.13 	of the municipal clerks in connection with elections, except special county elections.
4.14 	(d) The school districts shall pay the compensation prescribed for election judges 
4.15 	and sergeants-at-arms, the cost of printing the school district ballots, providing ballot 
4.16 	boxes, providing and equipping polling places and all necessary expenses of the school 
4.17 	district clerks in connection with school district elections not held in conjunction with 
4.18 	state elections. When school district elections are held in conjunction with state elections, 
4.19 	the school district shall pay the costs of printing the school district ballots, providing ballot 
4.20 	boxes and all necessary expenses of the school district clerk.
4.21 	All disbursements under this section shall be presented, audited, and paid as in 
4.22 	the case of other public expenses.

4.23 	Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204B.36, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
4.24 		Subdivision 1.Type. All ballots shall be printed with black ink on paper of sufficient 
4.25 	thickness to prevent the printing from being discernible from the back. All ballots of the 
4.26 	same color shall be substantially uniform in style of printing, size, thickness and shade of 
4.27 	color. When the ballots of a particular color vary in shade, those used in any one precinct 
4.28 	shall be of the same shade. All ballots shall be printed in easily readable type with suitable 
4.29 	lines dividing candidates, offices, instructions and other matter printed on ballots. The 
4.30 	name of each candidate shall be printed in capital letters. The same type shall be used for 
4.31 	the names of all candidates on the same ballot.

4.32 	Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204C.14, is amended to read:
4.33 	204C.14 UNLAWFUL VOTING; PENALTY.
4.34 	No individual shall intentionally:
5.1 	(a) misrepresent the individual's identity in applying for a ballot, depositing a ballot in 
5.2 	a ballot box or attempting to vote by means of a voting machine or electronic voting system;
5.3 	(b) vote more than once at the same election;
5.4 	(c) put a ballot in a ballot box for any illegal purpose;
5.5 	(d) give more than one ballot of the same kind and color to an election judge to 
5.6 	be placed in a ballot box;
5.7 	(e) aid, abet, counsel or procure another to go into any precinct for the purpose 
5.8 	of voting in that precinct, knowing that the other individual is not eligible to vote in 
5.9 	that precinct; or
5.10 	(f) aid, abet, counsel or procure another to do any act in violation of this section.
5.11 	A violation of this section is a felony.

5.12 	Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204C.19, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
5.13 		Subd. 2.Ballots; order of counting. Except as otherwise provided in this 
5.14 	subdivision, the ballot boxes shall be opened, the votes counted, and the total declared one 
5.15 	box at a time in the following order: the white box, the pink box, the canary box, the light 
5.16 	green box, the blue box, the buff box, the goldenrod box, the gray box, and then the other 
5.17 	kinds of ballots voted at the election. If enough election judges are available to provide 
5.18 	counting teams of four or more election judges for each box, more than one box may be 
5.19 	opened and counted at the same time. The election judges on each counting team shall be 
5.20 	evenly divided between the major political parties. The numbers entered on the summary 
5.21 	sheet shall not be considered final until the ballots in all the boxes have been counted and 
5.22 	corrections have been made if ballots have been deposited in the wrong boxes.

5.23 	Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204C.25, is amended to read:
5.24 	204C.25 DISPOSITION OF BALLOTS.
5.25 	After the count and the summary statements have been completed, in the presence 
5.26 	of all the election judges, the counted, defective, and blank ballots shall be placed in 
5.27 	envelopes marked or printed to distinguish the color of the ballots contained, and the 
5.28 	envelopes shall be sealed. The election judges shall sign each envelope over the sealed part 
5.29 	so that the envelope cannot be opened without disturbing the continuity of the signatures. 
5.30 	The number and kind of ballots in each envelope, the name of the town or city, and the 
5.31 	name of the precinct shall be plainly written upon the envelopes. The number and name of 
5.32 	the district must be plainly written on envelopes containing school district ballots. The 
5.33 	spoiled ballots shall be placed in separate envelopes and returned with the unused ballots 
5.34 	to the county auditor or municipal or school district clerk from whom they were received.

6.1 	Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204C.27, is amended to read:
6.2 	204C.27 DELIVERY OF RETURNS TO COUNTY AUDITORS.
6.3 	One or more of the election judges in each precinct shall deliver two sets of 
6.4 	summary statements; all spoiled white, pink, canary, and gray ballots; and the envelopes 
6.5 	containing the white, pink, canary, and gray ballots either directly to the municipal clerk 
6.6 	for transmittal to the county auditor's office or directly to the county auditor's office as 
6.7 	soon as possible after the vote counting is completed but no later than 24 hours after the 
6.8 	end of the hours for voting. One or more election judges shall deliver the remaining set 
6.9 	of summary statements and returns, all unused and spoiled municipal and school district 
6.10 	ballots, the envelopes containing municipal and school district ballots, and all other things 
6.11 	furnished by the municipal or school district clerk, to the municipal or school district 
6.12 	clerk's office within 24 hours after the end of the hours for voting. The municipal or school 
6.13 	district clerk shall return all polling place rosters and completed voter registration cards to 
6.14 	the county auditor within 48 hours after the end of the hours for voting.

6.15 	Sec. 14. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204D.08, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
6.16 		Subd. 6.State and county nonpartisan primary ballot. The state and county 
6.17 	nonpartisan primary ballot shall be headed "State and County Nonpartisan Primary 
6.18 	Ballot." It shall be printed on canary paper in the manner provided in the rules of the 
6.19 	secretary of state. The names of candidates for nomination to the Supreme Court, Court of 
6.20 	Appeals, district court, and all county offices shall be placed on this ballot.
6.21 	No candidate whose name is placed on the state and county nonpartisan primary 
6.22 	ballot shall be designated or identified as the candidate of any political party or in any 
6.23 	other manner except as expressly provided by law.

6.24 	Sec. 15. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204D.11, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
6.25 		Subdivision 1.WhiteState general election ballot; rules. The names of 
6.26 	the candidates for all partisanstate and federal offices, all proposed constitutional 
6.27 	amendments, all county offices and questions, and all judicial offices voted on at the state 
6.28 	general election shall be placed on a single ballot printed on white paper which that  shall 
6.29 	be known as the "whitestate general election ballot." This ballot shall be prepared by the 
6.30 	county auditor subject to the rules of the secretary of state. The secretary of state shall 
6.31 	adopt rules for preparation and time of delivery of the whitestate general election ballot.

6.32 	Sec. 16. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204D.11, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
7.1 		Subd. 4.Special federal white ballot. (a) The names of all candidates for the 
7.2 	offices of president and vice-president of the United States and senator and representative 
7.3 	in Congress shall be placed on a ballot printed on white paper whichthat shall be known 
7.4 	as the "special federal white ballot."
7.5 	(b) This ballot shall be prepared by the county auditor in the same manner as 
7.6 	the whitestate general election ballot and shall be subject to the rules adopted by the 
7.7 	secretary of state pursuant to subdivision 1. This ballot must be prepared and furnished 
7.8 	in accordance with the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 
7.9 	United States Code, title 42, section 1973ff.
7.10 	(c) The special federal white ballot shall be the only ballot sent to citizens of 
7.11 	the United States who are eligible to vote by absentee ballot for federal candidates in 
7.12 	Minnesota.

7.13 	Sec. 17. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204D.11, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
7.14 		Subd. 5.Ballot headings. The white, pink, and special federal white ballot 
7.15 	containing the offices and questions in subdivisions 1 and 4, shall be headed with the 
7.16 	words "State General Election Ballot." The canary ballot shall be headed with the words 
7.17 	"County and Judicial Nonpartisan General Election Ballot."

7.18 	Sec. 18. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204D.11, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
7.19 		Subd. 6.GrayJudicial ballot. When the canary ballot would be longer than 30 
7.20 	inches or when it would not be possible to place all offices on a single ballot card for the 
7.21 	state general election, the judicial offices that should be placed on the canary ballot may be 
7.22 	placed instead on a separate grayjudicial ballot. The grayjudicial ballot shall be prepared 
7.23 	by the county auditor in the manner provided in the rules of the secretary of state.
7.24 	The grayjudicial ballot must be headed with the words: "Judicial Nonpartisan 
7.25 	General Election Ballot." Separate ballot boxes must be provided for these grayjudicial 
7.26 	ballots.

7.27 	Sec. 19. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204D.13, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
7.28 		Subd. 3.Nominees by petition; placement on ballot. The names of candidates 
7.29 	nominated by petition for a partisan office voted on at the state general election shall be 
7.30 	placed on the whitestate general election ballot after the names of the candidates for that 
7.31 	office who were nominated at the state primary. Prior to the state primary No later than 
7.32 	11 weeks before the state general election, the secretary of state shall determine by lot 
7.33 	the order of candidates nominated by petition. The drawing of lots must be by political 
8.1 	party or principle. The political party or political principle of the candidate as stated on 
8.2 	the petition shall be placed after the name of a candidate nominated by petition. The word 
8.3 	"nonpartisan" shall not be used to designate any partisan candidate whose name is placed 
8.4 	on the whitestate general election ballot by nominating petition.

8.5 	Sec. 20. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204D.14, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
8.6 		Subdivision 1.Rotation of names. The names of candidates for nonpartisan offices 
8.7 	on the canarystate general election ballot and the judicial nonpartisan general election 
8.8 	ballot shall be rotated in the manner provided for rotation of names on state partisan 
8.9 	primary ballots by section 204D.08, subdivision 3.

8.10 	Sec. 21. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204D.14, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
8.11 		Subd. 3.Uncontested judicial offices. Judicial offices for a specific court for 
8.12 	which there is only one candidate filed must appear after all other judicial offices for that 
8.13 	same court on the canary ballot.

8.14 	Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 204D.15, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
8.15 		Subd. 3.Sample pink ballot; constitutional amendments. Four weeks before the 
8.16 	state general election the secretary of state shall file sample copies of the pink ballot
8.17 	portion of the state general election ballot that contains the proposed constitutional 
8.18 	amendments in the Secretary of State's Office for public inspection. Three weeks before 
8.19 	the state general election the secretary of state shall mailtransmit sample copies of the 
8.20 	pinksample ballot to each county auditor. Each auditor shall post the sample ballot in a 
8.21 	conspicuous place in the auditor's office.

8.22 	Sec. 23. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 205.13, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:
8.23 		Subd. 1a.Filing period. In a city nominating candidates at a primary, an affidavit of 
8.24 	candidacy for a city office voted on in November must be filed no more than 84 days nor 
8.25 	less than 70 days before the city primary. In municipalities that do not hold a primary, an 
8.26 	affidavit of candidacy must be filed no more than 70 days and not less than 56 days before 
8.27 	the municipal general election held in March in any year, or a special election not held in 
8.28 	conjunction with another election, and no more than 98 days nor less than 84 days before 
8.29 	the municipal general election held in November of any year. The municipal clerk's office 
8.30 	must be open for filing from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the last day of the filing period.

8.31 	Sec. 24. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 205.17, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
9.1 		Subdivision 1.Second, third, and fourth class cities; towns Municipal offices; 
9.2 	questions; general election ballot. In all statutory and home rule charter cities of the 
9.3 	second, third, and fourth class, and in all towns, for the municipal general election, the 
9.4 	municipal clerk shall have printed on light green paper the official ballot containing the 
9.5 	names of all candidates for municipal offices and municipal ballot questions. The ballot 
9.6 	shall be printed in quantities of 25, 50, or 100, shall be headed "City or Town Election 
9.7 	Ballot," shall state the name of the city or town and the date of the election, and shall 
9.8 	conform in other respects to the white ballot used at the state general election ballot. The 
9.9 	names shall be arranged on city ballots in the manner provided for the state elections. On 
9.10 	town ballots names of the candidates for each office shall be arranged either:
9.11 	(1) alphabetically according to the candidates' surnames; or
9.12 	(2) in the manner provided for state elections if the town electors chose at the town's 
9.13 	annual meeting to arrange the names in that way for at least two consecutive years.

9.14 	Sec. 25. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 205.17, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
9.15 		Subd. 3.Primary ballots. The municipal primary ballot in cities of the second, 
9.16 	third, and fourth class and towns and the nonpartisan primary ballot in cities of the first 
9.17 	class shall conform as far as practicable with the municipal general election ballot except 
9.18 	that it shall be printed on light green paper. No blank spaces shall be provided for writing 
9.19 	in the names of candidates. The partisan primary ballot in cities of the first class shall 
9.20 	conform as far as practicable with the state partisan primary ballot.

9.21 	Sec. 26. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 205A.05, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
9.22 		Subd. 2.Vacancies in school district offices. Special elections shall be held in 
9.23 	school districts in conjunction with school district primary and general elections to fill 
9.24 	vacancies in elective school district offices. When more than one vacancy exists in an 
9.25 	office elected at-large, voters must be instructed to vote for up to the number of vacancies 
9.26 	to be filled.

9.27 	Sec. 27. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 205A.08, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
9.28 		Subdivision 1.BuffGeneral election ballot. The names of all candidates for offices 
9.29 	and all ballot questions to be voted on at a school district general election must be placed 
9.30 	on a single ballot printed on buff paper and known as the "buff ballot.".

9.31 	Sec. 28. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 206.61, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
10.1 		Subd. 4.Order of candidates. On the "State Partisan Primary Ballot" prepared for 
10.2 	primary elections, and on the whitestate general election ballot prepared for the general 
10.3 	election, the order of the names of nominees or names of candidates for election shall be 
10.4 	the same as required for paper ballots. More than one column or row may be used for the 
10.5 	same office or party. Electronic ballot display and audio ballot readers must conform to 
10.6 	the candidate order on the optical scan ballot used in the precinct.

10.7 	Sec. 29. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 206.895, is amended to read:
10.8 	206.895 SECRETARY OF STATE MONITOR.
10.9 	The secretary of state must monitor and evaluate election procedures in precincts 
10.10 	subject to the audit provided for in section 206.89 in at least four precinctsone precinct in 
10.11 	each congressional district. The precincts must be chosen by lot by the State Canvassing 
10.12 	Board at its meeting to canvass the state general election.

10.13 	Sec. 30. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 208.04, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
10.14 		Subd. 2.Applicable rules. The rules for preparation, state contribution to the cost 
10.15 	of printing, and delivery of presidential ballots are the same as the rules for whitestate 
10.16 	general election ballots under section 204D.11, subdivision 1.

10.17 	Sec. 31. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 211B.045, is amended to read:
10.18 	211B.045 NONCOMMERCIAL SIGNS EXEMPTION.
10.19 	In any municipality, whether or not the municipality has an ordinance that regulates 
10.20 	the size or number of noncommercial signs, All noncommercial signs of any size may be 
10.21 	posted in any number frombeginning 46 days before the state primary in a state general 
10.22 	election year until ten days following the state general election. Municipal ordinances 
10.23 	may regulate the size and number of noncommercial signs at other times.

10.24 	Sec. 32. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 447.32, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
10.25 		Subd. 3.Election notices. At least two weeks before the first day to file affidavits 
10.26 	of candidacy, the clerk of the district shall publish a notice stating the first and last day 
10.27 	on which affidavits of candidacy may be filed, the places for filing the affidavits and the 
10.28 	closing time of the last day for filing. The clerk shall post a similar notice in at least one 
10.29 	conspicuous place in each city and town in the district at least ten days before the first 
10.30 	day to file affidavits of candidacy.
10.31 	At least 5374 days prior to every hospital district election, the hospital district clerk 
10.32 	shall provide a written notice to the county auditor of each county in which the hospital 
11.1 	district is located. The notice must include the date of the election, the offices to be voted 
11.2 	on at the election, and the title and language for each ballot question to be voted on at the 
11.3 	election. At least 46 days before a hospital district election for which a notice is provided 
11.4 	to the county auditor under this subdivision, The county auditor shall immediately provide 
11.5 	a notice to the secretary of state in a manner and including information prescribed by 
11.6 	the secretary of state.
11.7 	The notice of each election must be posted in at least one public and conspicuous 
11.8 	place within each city and town included in the district at least ten daystwo weeks before 
11.9 	the election. It must be published in the official newspaper of the district or, if a paper has 
11.10 	not been designated, in a legal newspaper having general circulation within the district, at 
11.11 	least two weeks before the election. Failure to give notice does not invalidate the election 
11.12 	of an officer of the district. A voter may contest a hospital district election in accordance 
11.13 	with chapter 209. Chapter 209 applies to hospital district elections.

11.14 	Sec. 33.  REPEALER.
 11.15 	Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 204B.42; 204D.11, subdivisions 2 and 3; 205.17, 
11.16 	subdivisions 2 and 4; and 205A.08, subdivision 4, are repealed.