FOIA Request to Washtenaw County Election Division Regarding Pre-Election Voting Machine Test Reports on October 30, 2024.
As a team of dedicated journalists at Ann Arbor Times, we have recently sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Washtenaw County Election Division in Michigan. The request was made as part of our ongoing commitment to provide comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In the FOIA request, we asked for records pertaining to the pre-election testing of voting machines. Specifically, we sought information in PDF format about the test date, machine manufacturer, machine model number, and the status of each machine – whether it passed or failed its test.
Our aim is to use this information to shed light on the election process and ensure that public institutions are held accountable. As members of the media 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 transparency is crucial in maintaining trust in our democratic processes. As such, we have requested these records under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act § 15.231 et seq., and have also requested a fee waiver as a media professional.
We will continue to keep you updated as we gather more information about this matter.
