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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State <br /> 2021 Redistricting Guide <br />26 <br />Municipalities should visit polling locations periodically to verify that polling locations are still accessible. The Office of <br />the Secretary of State Polling Place Accessibility Diagnostic Tool provides instructions on how polling places inspections <br />should be performed. <br />For more specific details on accessibility, we recommend consulting the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility <br />Guidelines. <br />5.3 Establishing polling places <br />5.3.1 Designating polling places <br />Generally, polling places must be designated by city, town, or county governing bodies by December 31 of the preceding <br />year. In 2021, state law was changed to require governing bodies that reestablish precincts to also designate polling <br />places for those precincts. Polling places will be designated within 30 days of the reestablishment of precincts, or by <br />March 29, 2022, whichever comes first. These will usually be done at the same time. An example resolution for <br />reestablishing unchanged precincts and polling places is provided in Appendix C. (M.S. 204B.16, subd. 1) <br />Public entities shall make their facilities available for the holding of city, county, school district, state, and federal <br />elections, subject to the approval of the local election official. Governing bodies using school district buildings as polling <br />places should contact the school district annually to verify that their security requirements have not changed. (M.S. <br />204B.16, subd. 6) <br />5.3.2 Combined polling places <br />Under certain circumstances, governing bodies may combine polling places into a single, accessible location with a single <br />team of election judges. A copy of the ordinance or resolution establishing a combined polling place must be filed with <br />the county auditor within 30 days after approval by the governing body or, in the case of multiple municipalities or <br />jurisdictions, all governing bodies. Separate ballot boxes and separate returns are kept for each precinct involved. (See <br />also M.R. 8230.4365) <br />The following circumstances allow for the establishment of a single, accessible, combined polling place no later than <br />May 1 of any year except a year with a presidential nomination primary: <br />•3rd or 4th class cities, <br />•cities located in more than one county, <br />•contiguous precincts in the same municipality, <br />•up to four contiguous cities and/or townships located outside the metro area that are in the same county, <br />•noncontiguous precincts located in one or more counties, subject to approval of both the governing body of <br />each municipality and the secretary of state, or <br />•mail election precincts, in which case the designation by the municipality or the auditor of only one centrally- <br />located polling place is required. <br />(M.S. 204B.14, subd. 2; M.S. 204B.45, subd. 1) <br />Note: the metropolitan area is defined as Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, <br />Washington, and Wright counties. (M.S. 200.002, subd. 24) <br />A municipality withdrawing from participation in a combined polling place must file a resolution of withdrawal with the <br />county auditor no later than April 1 of any year except the year before a presidential nomination primary. (M.S. 204B.14 <br />subd. 2 (b)(3))