A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Kent County Election Division in Michigan on October 30, 2024. The request, made by Grand Rapids Reporter, a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage of local governmental affairs, sought detailed information about pre-election voting machine tests.
The records requested under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act § 15.231 et seq., are specifically for the elections voting machines pre-election test report in PDF format. The fields requested in the report include the test date, machine manufacture, machine model number, and machine status indicating whether it passed or failed.
As members of the media at Grand Rapids Reporter, we 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.
This request underscores our commitment to keeping the public informed about important aspects of local government operations such as election procedures and equipment reliability. We will continue our efforts to provide comprehensive coverage of these critical issues that directly impact our community.
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