A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Oconto County Election Department in Wisconsin on February 5, 2025. The request, made by media organization The Sconi, sought comprehensive details about all candidates running in the upcoming spring election.
The Sconi's commitment to providing accurate and comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs led us to request this information under the Wisconsin Open Records Law, §19.31 et seq. Our request was specifically for an electronic format list of all candidates running in the forthcoming election.
The requested information included not only basic details such as the candidate's first, middle, and last names but also more specific data such as the office they are running for and its jurisdiction. We also asked for each candidate's party affiliation.
In addition to these details, we requested contact information for each candidate. This includes their address, phone number, and email address.
As a media organization, our role is to gather and report news to the public. Access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional.
We await a response from the Oconto County Election Department regarding our request.
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