FOIA Request to Lincoln County Election Department Regarding Upcoming Election Candidates on February 5, 2025.
As part of our ongoing commitment to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we at Gastonia Times have sent a request under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1., to the Lincoln County Election Department. The request, dated February 5, 2025, seeks information about all candidates running in the upcoming election.
Specifically, we asked for an electronic format list that includes each candidate’s first name, middle name, last name, the office they are running for, jurisdiction of the office and their party affiliation. In addition to this basic information about each candidate’s campaign, we also requested contact details such as address, phone number and email address.
We believe that access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information as a media organization, we have requested a fee waiver for this service.
We will continue our efforts to keep the public informed about local governmental affairs and will share any responses we receive from the Lincoln County Election Department in due course.
