A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Brown County, Wisconsin, on September 25, 2024. The request, filed by the media organization The Sconi, sought comprehensive details about absentee ballots for the November 5, 2024 General Election.
We at The Sconi are committed to providing thorough and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. As part of our mission to hold public institutions accountable and ensure transparency for the public, we have requested specific records under the Wisconsin Open Records Law.
The information requested pertains to various types of ballots including absentee, early voting, overseas, military and others that were sent out to voters. We asked for a broad range of data fields including Voter ID, Registration Date, Age/Date of Birth, Full Name (including middle name and suffix), Registration Status and Reason, County and Precinct of registration.
Further information such as Address details (City and State), Contact information (Phone number and Email Address), Party Affiliation were also included in our request.
In relation to the absentee ballots themselves, we have asked for details like Absentee Status, Ballot ID, Election Date for which the ballots were sent out. Additionally we sought specifics on the type of ballot request (Absentee, Mail-In, Early Voting etc.), dates pertaining to ballot request dispatch and return along with their final status (Accepted or Rejected).
As members of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to the public we believe access to these public records is essential in fulfilling our professional responsibilities. We hope that this information will help us provide an insightful report on the upcoming general election.
