A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Buncombe County Election Department on October 30, 2024. The Asheville Reporter, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, requested records under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1.
The specific records requested were for pre-election test reports of voting machines used in the county's elections. These reports are expected to be provided in a PDF format and should include specific fields such as the test date, machine manufacture, machine model number, and machine status indicating whether it passed or failed the test.
As a media organization, we at Asheville Reporter are involved in gathering and reporting news to the public. Access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
We await a response from the Buncombe County Election Department regarding this request and will keep our readers updated on any developments.
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