Legislation aims to clear voter confusion over election mailings

During an election cycle, voters can be inundated with mailed absentee ballot applications, voter registration forms and sample ballots from many different parties, official and otherwise.

“We don’t want there to be confusion and right now, there is,” said Matt Hilgart, director of government relations at the Association of Minnesota Counties.

Rep. Jim Nash (R-Waconia) wants there to be clarity for voters on who is sending voting-related mail and make sure voters know if mail is an official government document or from another organization.

Nash is sponsoring HF931, which would require a statement on any mailing sent on behalf of a committee or private organization that includes an absentee ballot application or a sample ballot. The statement must clarify that it’s not an official government communication, that the application or sample ballot hasn’t been included at the request of a government official and that a sample ballot isn’t an official ballot that can be cast by the voter.

“This is really rooted in the idea of making it very, very clear that the thing you’re getting in the mail is just a request from an organization that can send these out to make sure you’re getting your absentee ballot,” Nash said.

The House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee approved the bill on a voice vote Wednesday and sent it to the House Floor.

The different mailings often result in confusion and sometimes anger among voters, according to Michael Stalberger, the elections administrator for Blue Earth County. County election workers are often overwhelmed with calls and questions during elections - their busiest time of the year.

“A disclosure on the envelope and on the forms would greatly reduce the number of calls,” Stalberger said. “It also would allow election administrators time to do other important work associated with the absentee voting process.”