Senate committee hears bill to expand voter fund for local election operations

Senate File 1430, sponsored by Sen. Eric Carlson, would add appropriations to the Voting Operations, Technology and Election Resources account — the voter fund that the secretary of state’s office distributes to Minnesota counties and cities to offset local costs of running elections. Carlson presented the bill on Feb. 27 to the Senate Elections Committee, and county and city officials, along with Secretary of State Steve Simon, testified in favor. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.

Why it matters: County and municipal election offices told the committee the voter fund has provided meaningful, though partial, financial relief for election equipment, staff and maintenance — items that counties said are necessary to run secure and accessible elections.

The voter fund was created by the Legislature in 2023 and is distributed to all 87 counties according to a statutory formula. Secretary Simon told the committee that an initial allocation of $1,250,000 was distributed in 2023; in the following cycle the office distributed about $4.8 million after the Legislature shifted two existing grant lines into the account. Simon said the fund was never intended to be a full buyout of local costs but rather a supplement to local spending.

Local officials described how they used the funds. Michelle Rossman, an Olmsted County commissioner appearing for the Association of Minnesota Counties, said Olmsted received about $23,500 in 2023 and $97,000 in 2024 and plans to use the funds to upgrade e‑poll books and replace older ballot‑marking devices with omniballot systems across 32 polling places. Jackie Sorensen, city clerk for Blaine testifying for the League of Minnesota Cities, said her city used voter‑fund money to offset payment under a joint powers agreement with Anoka County and to pay hardware/software maintenance.

Nicole Conlin, election systems division manager at Hennepin County, said Hennepin received just over $229,000 in fiscal year 2023 and used the distribution to cover annual voting‑equipment maintenance fees. Michael Stahlberger of Blue Earth County, speaking for the Minnesota Association of County Officials (MAKO), told the committee Blue Earth’s operational election costs for 2024 were $626,000; the county received $13,800 in 2023 and $53,600 in 2024 (a two‑year total of $67,400), which he said amounted to roughly 11% of Blue Earth’s 2024 operational election costs and did not include capital equipment purchases.

Committee members asked for clarification on allowable uses and reporting. Secretary of State staff said statute (Minn. Stat. § 5.305) lists several authorized uses; the office’s first report found the top three spending categories were hardware/software, election equipment purchases, and election‑related staffing costs. Staff also said jurisdictions reported a range of other election‑related uses — from batteries and memory devices for tabulators to privacy panels, voting booths and, in one case, a fire‑proof locking ballot cabinet.

Outcome: The chair laid Senate File 1430 over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. No vote was recorded on the floor of the committee at the hearing.