A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Sullivan County Election Department on October 30, 2024. The request, filed by Northern Tier News, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought access to pre-election voting machine test reports.
The records requested under the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law, 65 §66.1 et seq., are expected to shed light on the integrity of the voting machines used in the county's election process. Specifically, Northern Tier News is seeking information about the date of testing, machine manufacture details, machine model numbers, and whether each machine passed or failed its pre-election test.
As a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, Northern Tier News stated that access to these public records is essential for fulfilling its professional responsibilities. These responsibilities include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
In line with this mission, Northern Tier News has requested these records preferably in electronic format and believes it is eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional.
The Sullivan County Election Department has yet to respond publicly regarding this FOIA request.
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