A new online system for processing requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for the Department of Elections was unveiled Tuesday by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Hailing it as another piece of her effort to increase government transparency, Benson said the system would help bring Michigan forward from its current status.
Calling FOIA “one of the most important tools citizens can use to hold their government accountable,” Benson said the new online portal would make document requests easier and the results more accessible than they’ve ever been. In fact, she said once a FOIA request has been made, many of the responsive documents will be publicly available on the department’s website.
Results that include highly personal information or that involve the qualified voter file will not be published, but she said iit does mean the public will be able to see what documents have already been requested and review them without having to make an additional separate FOIA request.
The service, which has been up and running for several weeks, can be accessed through the state’s MiLogin system, which is already used to connect with State of Michigan services including renewing a driver’s license, filing for unemployment or viewing a state tax return status. Once users provide the required information, they can pay online using their debit or credit card, the first time that will be possible. Previously, FOIA requests required a cashier’s check or money order. But once the online payment is cleared, the requested documents will be made instantly available.
Along those same lines, Kim Murphy-Kovalick with the good government group Voters Not Politicians, said the system was a good first step, but should not be the last, toward providing transparency across all levels of government.
“The people of Michigan have the right to know who’s influencing policy outcomes, how policy is made, and the way the state’s resources are allocated,” she said. “This common sense tool will help alleviate some of the FOIA request pinches that we have seen. I want to thank Secretary Benson and the Department of State for creating this tool and for facilitating transparency and anti-corruption in Michigan.”
Benson also addressed the issue of extending FOIA to the legislative and executive branches, work that was left unfinished by the Legislature in 2023.
“We are in ongoing conversations, and continue to be, with lawmakers about the additional changes we would like to see made and put into law,” she said. “Obviously, expanding FOIA to cover the governor’s office and the legislature is top of that list.”
This story was originally published by Michigan Advance. Read more here: https://michiganadvance.com/2023/12/12/benson-unveils-new-online-foia-portal-for-michigan-department-of-elections/
