Election Official Legal Defense Network
Advise Election Officials on Response to FOIA Requests
Help officials keep public resources focused on election administration and integrity
Posted October 18, 2022
Background & Context
Election officials across the country are being inundated with open records requests, including many that appear to be coordinated.
Immediate Problem
Responding to these requests is consuming substantial time and diverting resources from election administration. Officials in many counties are overwhelmed and even going above and beyond the requirements of the law in order to ensure compliance, straining critical resources even further. This flood of requests is expected to continue, and even to intensify, after Election Day.
Work & Deliverables
Lawyers will help election officials navigate the deluge of requests by providing advice about relevant exemptions and exclusions, opportunities to streamline responses to repetitive requests, and other ways to comply with open records laws without allowing them to monopolize resources intended for election administration. This assistance may take the form of short consultations with specific officials or general answers that will be made available to multiple officials for reference.
Experience with open records requests is required, whether the federal FOIA or a state open records framework. Volunteers will be asked to sign up for states where they are licensed or familiar with specific laws, though some volunteers may also be asked to research the legal framework in others states, as well.
Work on this project will be assigned on a rolling basis, as questions are received from election officials.
Preparation Phase
- Wait to be assigned a question/consultation
- Sign up for states where you have experience
Collaboration Phase
- Provide general guidance via a consultation or shareable general legal summary
- Conduct additional state-specific research (as needed)
- Review request language and status
Wrap Up
Election Official Legal Defense Network
Election officials face an increasing wave of state laws subjecting them to criminal penalties for performing their professional duties, while at the same time facing threats of violence to themselves and their families. The Election Officials Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) was created to provide these public servants with a network of pro bono attorneys who can offer advice and protection, at no cost. The Election Officials Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) is a project of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research.
Election Official Legal Defense Network
Election officials face an increasing wave of state laws subjecting them to criminal penalties for performing their professional duties, while at the same time facing threats of violence to themselves and their families. The Election Officials Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) was created to provide these public servants with a network of pro bono attorneys who can offer advice and protection, at no cost. The Election Officials Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) is a project of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research.