The bill would amend the Election Code to require the following: the general custodian of election records to implement a video surveillance system that retains a record of all areas containing voted ballots from the time the voted ballots are delivered to the general custodian of election records until the canvass of precinct election returns; the video recording to be retained in the same manner as a precinct election record; the video to be live-streamed on the website of the authority administering the election; and the Secretary of State (SOS), if state funds were made available for the purpose of providing for the security of voted ballots, to administer and distribute such funds to counties.
The bill would also create t
he video recording of counting locations fund as an account in the General Revenue Fund and require the SOS to establish a related grant program to assist counties. If a federal program were to make funding available to the state for the purpose of video recording of ballot counting locations, state funds appropriated to the fund could be used to meet federal matching requirements under the federal program.
The amount of any state funds to be made available to the grant program are unknown. The SOS anticipates that related administrative costs could be absorbed using existing resources.
This legislation would do one or more of the following: create or recreate a dedicated account in the General Revenue Fund, create or recreate a special or trust fund either in, with, or outside of the Treasury, or create a dedicated revenue source. The fund, account, or revenue dedication included in this bill would be subject to funds consolidation review by the current Legislature.
The bill does not make an appropriation but could establish the basis for one.
The fiscal implications of the bill to units of local government cannot be determined at this time.