A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Rabun County Election Department in Georgia on October 29, 2024. The request, made by Georgia Mountain News, sought detailed information about the methods used by the department to count votes during elections.
The FOIA request specifically asked for a list of methods employed by the department in their vote counting process. In addition, if manual counting is part of their procedure, Georgia Mountain News requested an estimated number of people who would be working on election night.
As a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we at Georgia Mountain News believe that access to such public records is essential for our work. Our professional responsibilities include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. We consider ourselves eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals due to our role in disseminating information.
The Rabun County Election Department has yet to respond to this request. As we continue our commitment towards transparent and responsible journalism, we eagerly await their response.