A FOIA request may be made for any public record. This does not mean, however, that the D.C. Board of Elections will disclose every record sought. Statutory exemptions authorize the withholding of certain public records. When the Board does withhold records or portions of records, it must specify which exemption of the FOIA permits the withholding. FOIA does not require agencies to do research, to analyze data, to answer written questions, or to create records in order to respond to a request. FOIA only requires the agency to make a reasonable effort to locate already existing records.
FOIA Officer Contact Information
Tonisha Erskine
Office of the General Counsel
202-727-2897
How to Make a Request
A FOIA request may be submitted to the D.C. Board of Elections by mail or online via an official FOIA request on the District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act Public Access Portal. Use the portal to create an account, submit requests online, send/receive messages directly to the FOIA officer, receive request status notifications, and receive your request response directly to your private reading room for viewing or download. Please note that FOIA requests submitted online will be easier to track and process.
By Mail
D.C. Board of Elections
1015 Half Street, SE Suite 750
Washington, DC 20003
Office Hours: 8:15 am to 4:45 pm, Monday through Friday, except for filing deadlines (5:00 pm closing) and District holidays
By Web
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Website: https://myfoiadc.govqa.us/WEBAPP/_rs/
By Phone
Main: (202) 727-2525
TTY: (711)
Fax: (202) 347-2648
When submitting your request, please mark the outside of the envelope or the subject line of the fax or email "Freedom of Information Act Request" or "FOIA Request." Please include a daytime telephone number, email address, or mailing address in your request letter so that the FOIA Officer may contact you if necessary. Describe the record(s) you are seeking as clearly and precisely as possible. In your description, please be as specific as possible with regard to names, dates, places, events, subjects, and other pertinent details that will help the public body to identify the records. The more specific you are about the records you are seeking, the more likely the public body will be able to locate those records. If your request is vague or too broad, we may ask you to be more specific, and this may delay the processing of your request.
The D.C. Board of Elections is committed to providing equal access to our services, programs, and activities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete this request, please contact the ADA Coordinator at (202) 727-2524 or via 711.
Response Time
The D.C. Board of Elections is required to respond to a FOIA request within 15 business days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) following the receipt of a request by the FOIA Officer of the public body that maintains the records you are requesting. The Board may extend the time for a response by an additional 10 business days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) for unusual circumstances, as defined by DC Code § 2-532(d)(1).
Exemptions from FOIA Disclosure
The FOIA statute provides that certain categories of documents may be withheld from disclosure. Included among these are documents that relate to law-enforcement activities, documents subject to recognized legal privileges such as the attorney-client and work-product privileges, documents required to be withheld by other laws (federal or District), documents that reflect the internal deliberative processes of the government, and documents the disclosure of which would result in a clearly unwarranted intrusion on personal privacy. For a complete list of the exemptions, please see DC Code § 2-534.
Fees and Waiver of Fees
There is no initial fee for submitting a FOIA request. However, a public body may charge fees for searching, reviewing, and reproducing records as provided in 1 DCMR § 408. The DC Board of Elections’ fee schedule is available online. You may include in your request letter a specific statement limiting the amount of fees you are willing to pay. Please be aware that you may have to pay search and/or review fees even if the search does not locate any responsive records or if records are located but are withheld as exempt.
You may request a waiver or reduction of fees in your request letter. You must include a statement describing how the requested records will be used to benefit the general public. Pursuant to DC Code § 2-532(b), if the public body determines that a waiver or fee reduction is in the public interest, i.e., furnishing the records primarily benefits the general public, a waiver or reduction may be granted.
Appeals or Judicial Review of Denials
You may file an administrative appeal or seek judicial review if you are dissatisfied with the response to your request.
Administrative Appeals
An administrative appeal is submitted to the Mayor. An administrative appeal may be submitted online through the District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act Public Access Portal. An appeal may also be submitted by mail or email. The appeal must include a copy of the original request as well as a copy of the public body's written denial letter issued to you, if any. In addition, the appeal must include a written statement of the arguments, circumstances, or reasons in support of the information sought by your request. The appeal letter must include "Freedom of Information Act Appeal" or "FOIA Appeal" in the subject line of the letter as well as marked on the outside of the envelope. You may direct a written appeal to:
or
Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel
FOIA Appeal
1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Suite 407
Washington, DC 20004
A copy of the appeal must be provided to the D.C. Board of Elections. The appeal must be addressed to the Board’s FOIA Officer.
Judicial Review
You may also file an appeal to the District of Columbia Superior Court. Please refer to the D.C. Superior Court rules concerning appeals and procedures for filing a civil action.
Please refer to the FOIA statute at DC Code §§ 2-531-539 and the FOIA regulations at 1 DCMR §§ 400-417 for additional information.