A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Morgan County Election Department regarding the candidates running in the upcoming spring election on February 5, 2025.
As part of our commitment to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs at Central Georgia News, we requested specific records under the Georgia Open Records Act § 50.18.70 et seq. We expressed a preference for receiving these records in an electronic format.
The details requested include a list of all candidates running in the forthcoming election along with their first, middle, and last names. In addition, we asked for information about the office each candidate is running for and its jurisdiction. The party affiliation of each candidate was also requested.
In order to provide thorough coverage and maintain transparency with our readership, we also asked for contact information for each candidate. This includes their address, phone number, and email address.
We emphasized that as members of the media 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.
In light of our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals. We eagerly await a response from the Morgan County Election Department so that we can continue to provide our readers with up-to-date and accurate information about their local government elections.
