SF3994 Summary

• Establishes the Minnesota Voting Rights Act (sections 200.50-200.59) to prohibit political subdivisions and election officials from adopting policies or practices that result in voter suppression or vote dilution affecting racial, color, language minority groups, and federally recognized Indian Tribes.

• Prohibits voter suppression actions that create disparities in voter participation or deny protected class members equal opportunity to vote or participate in the political process, and prohibits vote dilution through election method changes that impair protected class members' ability to nominate or elect candidates of their choice.

• Creates civil right of action allowing the attorney general, county attorneys, aggrieved individuals, and certain entities to sue in district court; provides for expedited proceedings, automatic calendar preference, and requires courts to award reasonable attorney fees and litigation costs to prevailing plaintiffs.

• Requires prospective plaintiffs to send notice to political subdivisions 60 days before filing suit (except within one year of enacted policies or when seeking preliminary relief), with political subdivisions given 90 days to adopt remedies; allows court-ordered alternative election methods including cumulative voting, limited voting, and ranked choice voting.

• Effective the day following final enactment; also amends Minnesota Statutes to allow cities to provide ward-based election of city council members.