Bill Summary: HB 5498 - Election Security and Transparency

• Requires municipalities to install video recording devices on secure absentee ballot drop boxes by July 1, 2025, with recordings made publicly available within five days and retained for 12 months.

• Establishes procedures for counting absentee ballots only on the latest issued ballot when applicants request multiple ballots, with all earlier ballots marked rejected.

• Expands absentee voting eligibility for nursing home patients during the six-day period before elections and allows designees to deliver ballots on their behalf with written consent.

• Creates criminal penalties for harassing or intimidating election workers, including class A misdemeanor for publicly disclosing election worker personal information, and establishes civil causes of action for affected workers.

• Implements election security measures including mandatory annual duplicate voter registration searches, online voter registration with signature verification, and protection of election worker residential addresses under Freedom of Information Act requests.