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Committee hears bill to let some civilly committed individuals vote in home counties
Summary
Representative Altendorf introduced a bill to allow people who are civilly committed to voting from the county where they reside, prompting testimony about concentrated commitment facilities and potential local election impacts in places such as Moose Lake.
Representative Altendorf presented House File 1840 to the committee, a bill that would allow certain civilly committed individuals to vote in elections in the county of their home residence rather than at the location where they are civilly committed.
Altendorf said the bill seeks to align voting location rules for people who are civilly committed and noted the measure parallels prior legislation (HF4043) that addressed similar questions. She described the affected individuals as those who have completed criminal sentences but remain civilly committed under state programs.
Public testimony centered on local impacts where high concentrations of civilly committed residents reside. Mark Hollis, a resident of Moose Lake, testified that his community hosts a facility that may house up to 500 civilly committed individuals, and he said that if those individuals voted in local races it could sway small elections. Hollis testified, “Imagine how 500 votes could sway the results of city officials or school board.” He urged lawmakers to consider the local effects on municipal elections.
Representative Altendorf said local officials in her district reported that civilly committed voters had affected recent mayoral results and argued the bill would keep local voting tied to home communities. The committee took no final vote on the bill and laid House File 1840 over for possible inclusion.
