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HF 5094

Requirements established for polling place designations for school district special elections in districts with boundaries that include more than one country.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jon Koznick and 1 co-sponsor

Requires at least one polling place in each county with >5,000 district voters for multi-county school elections, and adds cost/savings notice for combined polling places.

Author added Witte
#education-schooldistricts #elections
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HF 5094

Summary of HF 5094 (2025-2026) – Minnesota

Purpose and intent

HF 5094 establishes requirements for polling place designations and related notice provisions for school district special elections in districts that cross county boundaries. The bill aims to ensure election logistics are tailored to districts spanning multiple counties, with a focus on polling place placement and transparent notice to voters.

Key provisions

Polling place designations (Sec. 1)

  • Amends Minnesota Statutes § 205A.11, subd. 1 (Established precincts).
  • For school district special elections in districts whose boundaries include more than one county:
    • At least one polling place must be designated within each county in which more than 5,000 of the school district’s registered voters reside (based on the district’s most recent general election tallies).
  • This provision ensures geographic accessibility by requiring a designated polling location in larger-population counties within multi-county districts.

Notice to voters (Sec. 2)

  • Amends § 205A.11, subd. 2a (Notice of special elections).
  • When a combined polling place is used for a school district special election, the district clerk must prepare a notice to voters with:
    • Election date, voting hours, and the location of the voter's polling place.
    • Additional information added by the bill: the cost of conducting the special election and the amount saved due to using combined polling places.
  • Notice delivery and timing:
    • Mailed by nonforwardable mail to every affected household with at least one registered voter no later than 14 days before the election.
    • The mailed notice is not required for elections held on the second Tuesday in August, the Tuesday following the first Monday in November, or for elections conducted entirely by mail.
    • If a notice is returned as undeliverable, it must be forwarded immediately to the county auditor.
    • The notice must also be posted on the school district’s website.

Who is affected

  • School districts whose boundaries cross county lines and conduct special elections.
  • Voters within those school districts, particularly in counties housing more than 5,000 of the district’s registered voters.
  • County election administrators (for handling undeliverable notices).

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective as part of the 2025-2026 legislative session (specific effective date not stated in the provided text; implied to align with current election administration timelines).
  • Requires updated notice practices and transparent disclosure of election costs and savings when using combined polling places.
  • Introduces a cross-county polling place requirement to improve voter access in larger segments of multi-county districts.

Sponsorship

  • Primary sponsor: HF 5094, with co-sponsor Jon Koznick.

If you’d like, I can compare HF 5094 to current law (205A.11) in more detail or provide a plain-language one-page brief for voters.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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