1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to elections; clarifying voting provisions 
  1.3             for overseas voters; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.4             sections 203B.16, subdivision 1; 203B.17, subdivision 
  1.5             1; and 204D.11, subdivision 4. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 203B.16, 
  1.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [MILITARY SERVICE; TEMPORARY RESIDENCE 
  1.10  OUTSIDE UNITED STATES.] Sections 203B.16 to 203B.27 provide 
  1.11  alternative voting procedures for eligible voters who are absent 
  1.12  from the precinct where they maintain residence because they are:
  1.13     ~~(a)~~ (1) either in the military or the spouses or dependents 
  1.14  of individuals serving in the military; or 
  1.15     ~~(b)~~ (2) temporarily outside the territorial limits of the 
  1.16  United States. 
  1.17     Sections 203B.16 to 203B.27 are intended to implement the 
  1.18  federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 
  1.19  United States Code, title 42, section 1973ff. 
  1.20     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 203B.17, 
  1.21  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.22     Subdivision 1.  [SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION.] (a) An 
  1.23  application for absentee ballots for a voter described in 
  1.24  section 203B.16 may be submitted in writing or by electronic 
  1.25  facsimile device at the discretion of the county auditor or 
  2.1   municipal clerk.  An application for absentee ballots for a 
  2.2   voter described in section 203B.16 may be submitted by that 
  2.3   voter or by that voter's parent, spouse, sister, brother, or 
  2.4   child over the age of 18 years.  For purposes of an application 
  2.5   under this subdivision, a person's social security number, no 
  2.6   matter how it is designated, qualifies as the person's military 
  2.7   identification number if the person is in the military. 
  2.8      (b) An application for a voter described in section 
  2.9   203B.16, subdivision 1, shall be submitted to the county auditor 
  2.10  of the county where the voter maintains residence. 
  2.11     (c) An application for a voter described in section 
  2.12  203B.16, subdivision 2, shall be submitted to the county auditor 
  2.13  of the county where the voter last maintained residence in 
  2.14  Minnesota. 
  2.15     (d) An application for absentee ballots for a primary shall 
  2.16  also constitute an application for absentee ballots for ~~the~~ any 
  2.17  ensuing general or special election conducted during the 
  2.18  calendar year in which the application is received. 
  2.19     (e) There shall be no limitation of time for filing and 
  2.20  receiving applications for ballots under sections 203B.16 to 
  2.21  203B.27.  
  2.22     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 204D.11, 
  2.23  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  2.24     Subd. 4.  [SPECIAL FEDERAL WHITE BALLOT.] (a) The names of 
  2.25  all candidates for the offices of president and vice-president 
  2.26  of the United States and senator and representative in Congress 
  2.27  shall be placed on a ballot printed on white paper which shall 
  2.28  be known as the "special federal white ballot." 
  2.29     (b) This ballot shall be prepared by the county auditor in 
  2.30  the same manner as the white ballot and shall be subject to the 
  2.31  rules adopted by the secretary of state pursuant to subdivision 
  2.32  1.  This ballot must be prepared and furnished in accordance 
  2.33  with the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
  2.34  Act, United States Code, title 42, section 1973ff. 
  2.35     (c) The special federal white ballot shall be the only 
  2.36  ballot sent to citizens of the United States who are eligible to 
  3.1   vote by absentee ballot for federal candidates in Minnesota.