Political subdivisions allowed to lower the voting age to 16 for local elections, conforming changes made, and constitutional amendment proposed.

HF 2003 proposes a constitutional amendment allowing Minnesota counties, cities, and school districts to set the voting age at 16 for local elections, while keeping the state/federal voting age at 18. It requires local governments to pass a resolution to implement this change and specifies that 16-year-olds can only vote in local elections (not state or federal races) and must meet all other voter eligibility requirements. The amendment must be submitted to voters at the 2026 general election with a specific "Yes/No" question. If approved, it would amend Minnesota Statutes to update voting age rules in sections 201.014, 201.071, and add new provisions in section 201.017. This change directly affects local election administrators and 16-year-olds in jurisdictions that adopt the lower voting age.