A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Franklin County Election Department on October 30, 2024. The request, made by North Triangle News, a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, seeks access to records concerning pre-election voting machine test reports.
In accordance with the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1., we at North Triangle News have requested these records in an electronic format, specifically as PDF files. The information sought includes the date of testing for each voting machine, the manufacturer of the machine, the model number of the machine, and whether each machine passed or failed its respective test.
As members of the media engaged in gathering and reporting news to the public, access to such public records is vital for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to our readership. Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
The response from Franklin County Election Department will help shed light on how well prepared they were for the election process and ensure that every vote cast was accurately counted.
