The Minnesota Senate passed legislation today that would secure $1.5 million from the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to immediately be used to modernize the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) before the 2020 election. Following the passage of the bill, chief-author Senator Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) gave a statement on the floor of the Senate:

“We voted on and passed House File 14 to take care of securing Minnesota’s elections. This is the first part of the money, and… we are making sure that we fulfill the requirement for the five percent match for the federal money.

“This bill takes the first and most important step according to the Secretary of State. It’s the most important money, we’re getting it done, and good news – we did it today.”

The Legislature made a bipartisan effort last session working with the Secretary of State to secure the $1.5 million last year and provide part of the federal match, unfortunately, that legislation was vetoed in an omnibus bill by former Governor Mark Dayton.