A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Randolph County Election Department in Georgia on October 29, 2024. The request was made by SW Georgia News, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The FOIA request specifically sought information about the methods used by the department to count votes. If the counting process is manual, SW Georgia News also requested an estimate of the number of people who would be working on election night.
As part of our mission at SW Georgia News, we believe in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Access to public records such as these is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities.
In our request, we highlighted our role as a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public. Given this role, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional under the Georgia Open Records Act § 50.18.70 et seq.
We eagerly await a response from the Randolph County Election Department and will continue our efforts to provide thorough and transparent coverage of local government affairs.