A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Pike County Election Department in Georgia on October 29, 2024. The request, made by us at Macon Times, seeks information about the methods used by the department to count votes in the upcoming election.
The specific records requested under the Georgia Open Records Act § 50.18.70 et seq., include a detailed list of vote counting methods employed by the department. If any of these methods involve manual counting, we have also asked for an estimated number of people who will be working on election night.
As a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we believe access to such public records is essential. It allows us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
We have also requested a fee waiver as part of this FOIA request due to our role as a media organization disseminating information to the public.
We are currently awaiting a response from the Pike County Election Department regarding this request.
