House and Senate Elections Committees Hear Local Election Funding Bills
The proposals would increase funding for VOTER Account grants during the upcoming biennium.
During the week of Feb. 24, the House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee and the Senate Elections Committee heard companion bills SF 1430 and HF 977 that would increase funding for the Voter Operation, Technology, and Election Resources (VOTER) Account grants by $2.5 million a year in the 2026-2027 biennium. The bills are sponsored by Sen. Jim Carlson (DFL-Eagan) and Rep. Mike Freiberg (DFL-Golden Valley), respectively.
The VOTER grant fund was instituted in 2023 and is administered through counties to help fund a range of local government election costs.
Speaking on behalf of the League of Minnesota Cities, Blaine City Clerk Cathy Sorensen spoke about how these grants are of great assistance to both county and city election operations, with most local funds being spent on equipment, software updates, and staff costs.
LMC staff take
While most representatives and senators in both hearings were supportive of the grant program and city and county election representatives made a strong case for an increase, budget realities and heavy competition for any new state spending may make the funding of this increase challenging this legislative session.
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