San Juan, PR – The Puerto Rico State Elections Commission (CEE) is under scrutiny for failing to address multiple information requests related to issues during the electoral process. These requests, submitted by journalists Damaris Suárez and Vanessa Colón Almenas of the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI), remain unanswered despite the requirements outlined in the Transparency and Expedited Procedure for Access to Public Information Act. As a result, the CPI has taken legal action to obtain the requested data.
“All the requested information is public and of high interest to the people of Puerto Rico. To address public distrust in the electoral process, the CEE must be transparent and provide the requested information promptly. Oversight of electoral processes is essential in any country to improve democratic procedures. In this case, given the tumultuous electoral process with numerous delays and irregularities, transparency is crucial to correct errors,” said Carla Minet, executive director of the CPI.
A CPI investigation revealed recurring issues with the optical scanners that cast ballots on election day. These included machines failing to start, shutting down unexpectedly, not reading ballot marks, and experiencing paper jams. Just five days before polling stations opened, the CEE had nearly 1,000 machines that had not undergone logic and accuracy tests, even though they were intended to serve as replacements for malfunctioning machines during the general elections.
In response to these failures, Suárez submitted a data request to the CEE on November 7, seeking detailed information about the machines used in the electoral process. Her requests included the total number of machines available for early and absentee voting, the breakdown of ICC (Image Cast Central) versus ICP (Image Cast Precinct) machines, and the number of machines that failed or were replaced. She also sought maintenance records and a maintenance plan covering 2020 to 2024, as well as an explanation of why some polling stations were equipped with only one machine.
Despite repeated follow-ups, the CEE has not provided this information.
Suárez also requested details about result transmissions on election day, including the number of polling stations unable to transmit results, the reasons for these failures, remedial measures taken, and whether alternative methods were used to report results. Additionally, she requested copies of maintenance reports for the voting machines. A recent CPI investigation revealed widespread transmission failures from polling stations despite the CEE investing $1.3 million in modems, knowing they would not work in half of the voting centers.
The legal action filed by the CPI also includes a request from journalist Vanessa Colón Almenas, submitted on November 15. Colón Almenas asked the CEE for incident reports from the 114 local commissions on election day.
In this case, the CPI is represented by attorneys Judith Berkan and Steven P. Lausell Recurt from the Access to Information Clinic at the Inter American University School of Law.
Gracias por un periodismo íntegro y confiable. Es inaceptable hasta dónde tienen que llegar para proveer la información que debería ser pública, no apoyado por los recursos con los cuales la desinformación y el “mercadeo” de política pública cuenta.