1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to elections; authorizing a pilot program for conducting certain elections 
1.3 	in certain cities and school districts entirely by mail;amending Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes 2008, section 204B.45, by adding a subdivision.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 204B.45, is amended by adding a 
1.7 	subdivision to read:
1.8 		Subd. 1b.Experimental mail balloting; authorization. Beginning on January 1, 
1.9 	2011, until December 31, 2012, the secretary of state may authorize up to three cities of 
1.10 	the second, third, or fourth class in Ramsey County to conduct the 2012 state primary 
1.11 	and state general election and 2011 municipal primaries and municipal general elections 
1.12 	and up to two school districts in Ramsey County to conduct their school board elections 
1.13 	entirely by mail on an experimental basis. The county board may request authorization for 
1.14 	mail balloting by resolution submitted to the secretary of state no later than December 1, 
1.15 	2010. The secretary of state shall approve or deny the request no later than December 31, 
1.16 	2010. The cost of mailing, processing, and counting the ballots must be paid by the cities 
1.17 	or school districts authorized to conduct mail balloting.
1.18 	The county auditor shall prepare a report on implementation of any mail balloting 
1.19 	that occurs as provided in this subdivision, including a breakdown of the costs of the 
1.20 	election, and submit it to the secretary of state no later than December 15, 2011. The 
1.21 	secretary of state shall forward this report to the chairs and ranking minority members of 
1.22 	the legislative committees with jurisdiction over elections policy and finance with any 
1.23 	recommendations by January 16, 2012, and by January 14, 2013, if an election by mail 
1.24 	has been held under this subdivision in 2012.

2.1 	Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE; LOCAL APPROVAL.
 2.2 	Section 1 is effective the day after the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners and 
2.3 	its chief clerical officer timely complete their compliance with Minnesota Statutes, section 
2.4 	645.021, subdivisions 2 and 3.