FOIA Request to Montana Secretary of State - Elections Department Regarding Spring Elections Candidates for Office on February 6, 2025.
In a move to uphold transparency and accountability in the upcoming elections, we at Southwest Montana News have submitted a request under the Montana Public Records Act § 2-6-1001 et seq. The request was made with the aim of obtaining a comprehensive list of all candidates running in the upcoming spring elections.
The requested information includes details such as the candidates' first, middle, and last names, the office they are running for, jurisdiction of the office, and their party affiliation. In addition to these details, we also requested contact information for each candidate including their address, phone number, and email address.
As a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we believe access to public records is essential in fulfilling our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
We are hopeful that our request will be granted promptly so that we can continue our mission of keeping the public informed about their choices in the upcoming elections.