Opinion ID: 1790752
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Data Practices Claim.

Text: Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA), all personnel data that is not designated as public is private data. Minn.Stat. § 13.43, subds. 2-4 (2002); Navarre v. South Washington County Schs., 652 N.W.2d 9, 22 (Minn. 2002). Personnel data is that which is collected because an individual is or was an employee of a government entity, including a political subdivision. Minn.Stat. § 13.43, subd. 1 (Supp. 2003). Election judges are compensated for their services; the compensation for those serving in a municipality is fixed by the governing body of the city or town, and municipalities are responsible for paying their compensation. Minn.Stat. §§ 204B.31, subd. 1(d); 204B.32, subd. 1(c) (2002). We conclude that for purposes of the MGDPA, election judges are employees, as that word is commonly understood, of political subdivisions. We further conclude that because the political party membership of election judges is not designated as public under the MGDPA, it is private data on individuals and not accessible to petitioners. Minn. Stat. §§ 13.02, subd. 12; 13.43, subds. 2-4 (2002). [2] Petitioners argue that the statutory requirement for major political party balance in the appointment of election judges is intended to address serious issues of ballot integrity and transparency of the election process. Petitioners allege that without public scrutiny, enforcement of the party balance requirement may be difficult. But petitioners cite no authority, and we have found none, for the proposition that party membership is public data under the MGDPA. In the absence of an exception specifically applicable to election judges, and in light of the clear mandate of the MGDPA that personnel data is private unless otherwise described as public, we decline to rewrite the statute. Minnesota has a long tradition of attention to ballot integrity. It is properly the role of the legislature to debate the propriety of amending the MGDPA or providing some other remedy to address the issue, such as according an official like the county auditor supervisory authority to enforce Minn.Stat. § 204B.19, subd. 5. [3]