MN SF2491

County auditors, municipal clerks, and school district clerks must livestream all ballot board activities including envelope examination, ballot opening/duplication, deposit into ballot boxes, and counting/tabulation during absentee voting periods, election day, and the day after

Cameras must capture ballot board members, all ballots in the room, and all doors while avoiding recording private data on envelopes; the Department of Information Technology Services must host livestreams on its website at no charge to the public or local governments

Video recordings must be retained for at least 22 months and are classified as public data, though the commissioner may obscure visible private information on individuals

If livestreaming is disrupted and no appointed ballot board observers are present, all ballot board activities must halt until the stream is restored, observers arrive, or alternative recording is arranged

Effective September 1, 2025, for elections conducted on or after that date; includes an unspecified appropriation to the commissioner of information technology services for fiscal year 2026 and ongoing