Cities and Towns Can Request Absentee Ballot Images From Central Count Tabulators To Prove Existence
You want to know whether a ballot image was even generated for all the absentee ballots.
Ballot images are the pictures the scanner such as the DS200 from ES&S at the moment a ballot is run through the machine. This allows the computer to then 'read' the picture (digital image) to interpret the voter's oval selections. The computer then stores what is called the cast vote record on the device itself AND on removable media aka a thumb drive.
Normally, the ballot images would also be included on that encrypted thumb drive.
But we've heard from at least one Sr Deputy Auditor that they don't have them.
This is obviously a major issue.
Now, many cities and towns have decided to outsource their absentee processing to the county level. This centralization from 4,000+ precincts to 87 counties was said to have produced efficiencies but it also reduces oversight that cities and towns have on those absentee or mail-in ballots, not only from a physical chain of custody perspective, but from the DIGITAL chain of custody perspective.
If cities and towns still processed their own absentee and mail-in, then you could also immediately access the ballot images as well.
But now that is in the county's hands.
Will you request the county to send you the ballot images for precincts in your city or town?
What will they say when you ask? You are an elected official or staff. Not the public asking.
Maybe still they will say that ballot images have been classified as non-public data according to the 93rd Minnesota Legislature. Which is irrelevant to your question because you just want to know whether they exist. You're not asking to receive the ballot images to share publicly. You want to know whether a ballot image was even generated for all the absentee ballots, and whether also a voter history was immediately entered into the state's database (according to Minn Stat §203B.121) or whether the counties will certify the elections without matching reported totals to voter histories within the state's 'source of truth'.
Feel free to send any information on this (not the ballot images) that would be helpful to https://projectminnesota.com/docs
