Bill > SF2491

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 performing specific tasks such as examining and accepting/rejecting ballot envelopes, opening envelopes, duplicating ballots, depositing ballots into ballot boxes, and counting and tabulating ballots. The cameras must be positioned to show board members, ballots, and room doors while avoiding recording private data on ballot envelopes. The commissioner of information technology services will be responsible for hosting these livestreams on the department's website, ensuring they are easily accessible to the public, and retaining video recordings for at least 22 months. The commissioner must also obscure any private individual data in the recordings and will not charge fees for this service. If a livestream is disrupted, the ballot board may continue activities if observers are present, but must pause if no observers are present until the livestream is reinstated or alternative recording arrangements are made. The bill includes an appropriation to support implementing these new livestreaming requirements and becomes effective September 1, 2025, applying to elections conducted on or after that date.

Government Affairs

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF2491&ssn=0&y=2025