1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to elections; specifying that counties and municipalities must not designate 
1.3 	school buildings as polling places unless no other building is available;amending 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 204B.16, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 204B.16, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subdivision 1.Authority; location. (a) By December 31 of each year, the governing 
1.8 	body of each municipality and of each county with precincts in unorganized territory must 
1.9 	designate by ordinance or resolution a polling place for each election precinct. The polling 
1.10 	places designated in the ordinance or resolution are the polling places for the following 
1.11 	calendar year, unless a change is made:
1.12 	(1) pursuant to section 204B.175;
1.13 	(2) because a polling place has become unavailable; or
1.14 	(3) because a township designates one location for all state and federal elections and 
1.15 	one location for all township only elections.
1.16 	(b) Polling places must be designated and ballots must be distributed so that no one is 
1.17 	required to go to more than one polling place to vote in a school district and municipal 
1.18 	election held on the same day. The polling place for a precinct in a city or in a school district 
1.19 	located in whole or in part in the metropolitan area defined by section 200.02, subdivision 
1.20 	24, shall be located within the boundaries of the precinct or within one mile of one of those 
1.21 	boundaries unless a single polling place is designated for a city pursuant to section 204B.14, 
1.22 	subdivision 2, or a school district pursuant to section 205A.11. The polling place for a 
2.1 	precinct in unorganized territory may be located outside the precinct at a place which is 
2.2 	convenient to the voters of the precinct. If no suitable place is available within a town or 
2.3 	within a school district located outside the metropolitan area defined by section 200.02, 
2.4 	subdivision 24, then the polling place for a town or school district may be located outside 
2.5 	the town or school district within five miles of one of the boundaries of the town or school 
2.6 	district.
2.7 	(c) When designating polling places, a governing body of a municipality or county must 
2.8 	only designate a school building as a polling place when no other public or private location 
2.9 	is available for use as a polling place. If a municipality or county designates a school building 
2.10 	as a polling place, the municipality or county must work with school staff to ensure that 
2.11 	contact between students and voters is minimized.