A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Clinton County Election Division regarding a voting machines testing report on October 30, 2024. The request was made by Lansing Sun, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In our quest for transparency and accountability in public institutions, we requested records under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act § 15.231 et seq., preferably in electronic format. Specifically, we sought pre-election test reports for election voting machines in PDF format with certain fields.
The specific fields requested include the test date, machine manufacture, machine model number, and machine status indicating whether it passed or failed.
As a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, access to such public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. We believe that these details will provide valuable insights into the readiness and reliability of voting machines ahead of elections.
We also expressed our belief that as a media professional disseminating information to the public, we are eligible for a fee waiver under FOIA regulations.
Our commitment remains firm in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public through accurate news reporting.
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