Subd. 1. Application.

As used in sections 200.50 to 200.59, the terms as defined in this section have the meanings given.

Subd. 2. Government official.

"Government official" means any individual who is elected or appointed to an office in this state or a political subdivision or who is authorized to act in an official capacity on behalf of the state or a political subdivision.

Subd. 3. Language minority group.

"Language minority group" means a language minority group as that term is defined in the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, as of the effective date of this act.

Subd. 4. Method of election.

1. (a) "Method of election" means the method by which candidates are elected to the legislative body of a political subdivision, and includes at-large method of election, district-based method of election, or any alternative method of election. Method of election also includes the districting or redistricting plan used to elect candidates to the legislative body of a political subdivision.
2. (b) "At-large method of election" means a method of electing candidates to the legislative body of a political subdivision in which candidates are voted on by all voters of the political subdivision or that combines at-large with district-based methods of elections. At-large method of election does not include any alternative method of election.
3. (c) "District-based method of election" means a method of electing candidates to the legislative body of a political subdivision in which, for political subdivisions divided into districts, a candidate for any district is required to reside in the district and candidates representing or seeking to represent the district are voted on by only the voters who reside in the district. District-based method of election does not include any alternative method of election.
4. (d) "Alternative method of election" means a method of electing candidates to the legislative body of a political subdivision other than an at-large method of election or a district-based method of election and includes but is not limited to cumulative voting, limited voting, and proportional ranked choice voting.

Subd. 5. Political subdivision.

"Political subdivision" means a county, city, town, or school district.

Subd. 6. Politically cohesive.

"Politically cohesive" means that members of a group tend to prefer the same candidates, electoral choices, or policies.

Subd. 7. Protected class.

"Protected class" means a class of citizens who are members of a racial, color, or language minority group, or who are members of a federally recognized Indian Tribe, including a class of two or more such groups.

Subd. 8. Polarized voting.

"Polarized voting" means voting in which the candidate or electoral choice preferred by a protected class diverges from the candidate or electoral choice preferred by other voters.

Subd. 9. Vote; voting.

"Vote" or "voting" includes any action necessary to cast a ballot and make that ballot count in any election, including but not limited to: registering to vote; applying for an absentee ballot; and any other action required by law as a prerequisite to casting a ballot and having that ballot counted, canvassed, certified, and included in the appropriate totals of votes cast with respect to an election.

Subd. 10. Voting eligible population.

"Voting eligible population" means those individuals who are eligible to register and vote, regardless of whether the individuals are registered to vote.