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Bill to Provide $8M in Elections Funds for Cities and Counties Heard in House and Senate
The House and Senate elections committees heard a bill that would increase the existing $1.25 million of VOTER funding for cities and counties to $8 million annually.
A bill that would appropriate more funds to cities and counties administering elections was advanced by the House Elections Finance and Policy Committee and the Senate Elections Committee during the week of March 4.
HF 4411 (Rep. Emma Greenman, DFL-Minneapolis) and SF 4260 (Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan) would increase the annual appropriation of the Voting Operations, Technology, and Equipment Resources (VOTER) Account from $1.25 million to $8 million annually.
This fund was created by the 2023 Legislature to provide funds to counties and cities administering elections. The VOTER Account allows cities to spend these funds for various elections needs including equipment, programming, or other purposes directly related to election administration.
Read about the VOTER Account, fund formula, and eligible uses.
This bill adds to the existing $1.25 million annual base funding by moving the Voter Equipment Grant Account ($750,000 annually) and the Local Government Dropbox Grants ($1 million annually) to the fund and appropriating an additional $5 million of new funding annually.
The League provided testimony in support of the bill alongside the Association of Minnesota Counties at the hearings.
- View a video of the Senate Elections Committee Hearing (13:10).
- View a video of the House Elections Finance and Policy Committee Hearing (1:20:47).
Both bills were laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.