1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to elections; modifying certain requirements for absentee ballot drop boxes; 
1.3 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 203B.28; Minnesota Statutes 2021 
1.4 	Supplement, section 203B.082, subdivision 2, by adding a subdivision.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 203B.082, subdivision 2, is 
1.7 	amended to read:
1.8 		Subd. 2.Minimum security and integrity standards. The county auditor or municipal 
1.9 	clerk may provide locations at which a voter may deposit a completed absentee ballot 
1.10 	enclosed in the completed signature envelope in a secure drop box, consistent with the 
1.11 	following security and integrity standards:
1.12 	(1) at least one location must be provided for every 50,000 registered voters in the 
1.13 	jurisdiction. If there are fewer than 50,000 registered voters in the jurisdiction, the county 
1.14 	auditor or municipal clerk must provide at least one location;
1.15 	(2) if more than one location is required, the locations must be distributed in a manner 
1.16 	that ensures equitable access to the drop boxes among all voters in the jurisdiction;
1.17 	(3) at the request of a federally recognized Tribe with a reservation in the county, the 
1.18 	county auditor must establish at least one ballot drop box on the reservation on a site selected 
1.19 	by the Tribe that is accessible to the county auditor by a public road;
1.20 	~~(1)~~ (4) each drop box must be continually recorded during the absentee voting period;
1.21 	~~(2)~~ (5) each drop box must be designed to prevent an unauthorized person from moving, 
1.22 	removing, or tampering with the drop box;
2.1 	~~(3)~~ (6) each drop box placed in an outdoor location must be fastened to a building, bolted 
2.2 	to a concrete pad, or otherwise attached to a similarly secure structure;
2.3 	~~(4)~~ (7) ballots deposited in a drop box must be secured against access by any unauthorized 
2.4 	person, and in the case of a drop box located in an outdoor location, the drop box must be 
2.5 	secured against damage due to weather or other natural conditions;
2.6 	(8) each drop box must be assigned an identification number that is unique to that drop 
2.7 	box;
2.8 	~~(5)~~ (9) each drop box must contain signage or markings that:
2.9 	(i) clearly identifies the drop box as an official absentee ballot return location; ~~and~~
2.10 	(ii) include the statement: "You can only return your own ballot in this drop box.";
2.11 	~~(ii)~~ (iii) include the location and hours where an agent may return an absentee ballot;
2.12 	and
2.13 	(iv) include the identification number assigned to the drop box;
2.14 	~~(6)~~ (10) deposited ballots must be collected at least once per business day during the 
2.15 	absentee voting period by the county auditor, municipal clerk, or an elections official trained 
2.16 	by the county auditor or municipal clerk in the proper maintenance and handling of absentee 
2.17 	ballots and absentee ballot drop boxes, and in the security measures used to protect absentee 
2.18 	ballots; and
2.19 	~~(7)~~ (11) ballots collected from each drop box must be properly date-stamped and stored 
2.20 	in a locked ballot container or other secured and locked space consistent with any applicable 
2.21 	laws governing the collection and storage of absentee ballots.

2.22 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 203B.082, is amended by adding a 
2.23 	subdivision to read:
2.24 		Subd. 5.Ballot collection log and report. The county auditor or municipal clerk must 
2.25 	maintain a log for each drop box. The log must include the unique identification number 
2.26 	assigned to the drop box. The log must include the following information for each day 
2.27 	during the absentee voting period:
2.28 	(1) the date and time of each ballot collection;
2.29 	(2) the person who collected the ballots; and
2.30 	(3) the number of ballots collected.

3.1 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 203B.28, is amended to read:
3.2 	203B.28 POSTELECTION REPORT TO LEGISLATURE.
3.3 	By January 15 of every odd-numbered year, the secretary of state shall provide to the 
3.4 	chair and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over 
3.5 	elections a statistical report related to absentee voting in the most recent general election 
3.6 	cycle. The statistics must be organized by county, and include:
3.7 	(1) the number of absentee ballots transmitted to voters;
3.8 	(2) the number of absentee ballots returned by voters;
3.9 	(3) the number of absentee ballots that were rejected, categorized by the reason for 
3.10 	rejection;
3.11 	(4) the number of absentee ballots submitted pursuant to sections 203B.16 to 203B.27, 
3.12 	along with the number of returned ballots that were accepted, rejected, and the reason for 
3.13 	any rejections; ~~and~~
3.14 	(5) the number of absentee ballots that were not counted because the ballot return 
3.15 	envelope was received after the deadlines provided in this chapter~~.~~; and
3.16 	(6) the number of absentee ballots by method of return including drop box, mail, 
3.17 	in-person, and direct balloting.