Voter registration website (New York State Board Of Elections)
| Multi Request | Voter registration website |
| Submitted | Oct. 13, 2020 |
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Communications
From: Jason Koebler
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
A series of voter registration website outages have made national news in recent weeks:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/935em3/severed-internet-cable-breaks-virginia-voter-registration-portal-on-deadline-day
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920774701/florida-governor-extends-deadline-after-voter-registration-site-crashes
Therefore, I request the following information:
- Contracts, plans, RFPs, and underlying information about the design of online voter registration systems
- Presentations and emails regarding these systems
- Any disaster recovery / backup plans / failsafes for voter registration databases and registration websites or emails/plans/RFPs/presentations regarding this
- Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity contracts, plans, RFPs, presentations for voter registration websites and databases
- Any cybersecurity audits/penetration test reports / RFPs and contracts regarding online voter registration systems
Please search from Jan 1, 2018 until the day this request is processed.
These documents will be used for reporting on Motherboard, VICE Media's science and tech website (www.motherboard.vice.com)
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Jason Koebler
From: New York State Board Of Elections
Jason Koebler
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 103660
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144-2516
Dear Mr. Koebler:
The New York State Board of Elections has received your request for access to public documents, more specifically, "Contracts, plans, RFPs, and underlying information about the design of online voter registration systems; Presentations and emails regarding these systems; Any disaster recovery / backup plans / fail safes for voter registration databases and registration websites or emails/plans/RFPs/presentations regarding this; Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity contracts, plans, RFPs, presentations for voter registration websites and databases; Any cybersecurity audits/penetration test reports / RFPs and contracts regarding online voter registration systems. Please search from Jan 1, 2018 until the day this request is processed."
Pursuant to paragraph (i) of subdivision 2 of section 87 of the Public Officers Law, the agency asserts these materials are exempt from disclosure:
2. Each agency shall, in accordance with its published rules, make available for public inspection and copying all records, except that such agency may deny access to records or portions thereof that:
(i) if disclosed, would jeopardize the capacity of an agency or an entity that has shared information with an agency to guarantee the security of its information technology assets, such assets encompassing both electronic information systems and infrastructures; or.
You have 30 days from receipt of a denial of access to public records or portions thereof to appeal to:
FOIL Appeal Officer
New York State Board of Elections
40 North Pearl Street, Suite 5
Albany, NY 12207-2729
Thank you for your interest in the New York State Board of Elections. This constitutes our complete response to your request. If you require further assistance, please contact us again.
Sincerely yours,
John W. Conklin
Public Information Office
New York State Board of Elections
40 North Pearl Street, 5th Floor
Albany, New York 12207-2109
INFO@elections.ny.gov<mailto:INFO@elections.ny.gov>
www.elections.ny.gov<http://www.elections.ny.gov/>
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~WRD0556