FOIA Request to Jackson County Election Department Regarding Upcoming Election Candidates on February 5, 2025.
On behalf of Nantahala News, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we submitted a request for public records under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1.
Our request specifically asked for a list of all candidates running in the upcoming election. The details we requested include the candidates’ first, middle, and last names; the office they are running for; jurisdiction of the office; and party affiliation.
In addition to these details, we also requested contact information for each candidate. This includes their address, phone number, and email address.
As a media organization 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. 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 Jackson County Election Department regarding our request.
