Bill > HF1664

This bill requires county auditors, municipal clerks, and school district clerks to livestream all ballot board activities during the absentee voting period, on election day, and the day after election day. The livestreaming must capture ballot board members examining and processing absentee ballot envelopes, opening envelopes, duplicating ballots if necessary, depositing ballots into ballot boxes, and counting and tabulating ballots. Cameras must be positioned to show board members, ballots, and room doors while avoiding recording private data on envelopes. The commissioner of information technology services will be responsible for hosting these livestreams on the department's website, ensuring public accessibility, and retaining video recordings for 22 months. The recordings will be considered public data, though private individual information may be obscured. If a livestream is disrupted, the ballot board can continue working if observers are present, but must pause activities if no observers are present until the livestream is reinstated or alternative recording methods are arranged. The bill includes an appropriation to fund the implementation of these new livestreaming requirements, with the effective date set for September 1, 2025, applying to elections conducted on or after that date.

Government Affairs

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1664&ssn=0&y=2025