A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Avery County Election Department in North Carolina on October 30, 2024. The request, made by High Country Times, a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, is seeking access to records concerning pre-election voting machine test reports.
The requested records are under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1., and should preferably be provided in an electronic format. The specific fields that were requested in the report include the test date, machine manufacture, machine model number, and machine status indicating whether it passed or failed.
As a media organization, we at High Country Times are involved in gathering and reporting news to the public. Access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These responsibilities 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 a media professional. We await the Avery County Election Department’s response to this request as we continue our mission of providing comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs.
