A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Lebanon County Election Department on October 30, 2024. The request, made by Lebanon PA News, a media organization committed to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought access to pre-election voting machine test reports.
In line with Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law, 65 §66.1 et seq., the request specifically asked for the records in an electronic format, preferably as a PDF. The requested fields within these reports included the test date, machine manufacture, machine model number, and machine status indicating whether it passed or failed.
As a media organization dedicated to transparency and public accountability, we believe that access to such records is crucial in fulfilling our professional responsibilities. We strive to provide our readers with insightful and factual reporting on local government affairs. In this regard, access to public records like these pre-election voting machine test reports can help us hold public institutions accountable while also providing much-needed transparency.
Given our role in disseminating information to the public, we have also requested a fee waiver as a media professional under the provisions of the FOIA.
The Lebanon County Election Department has yet to respond to our request. As always, we remain committed to bringing you comprehensive coverage of all matters pertaining to local governance and civic life.
