FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSION
OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT

In the Matter of a Complaint by

FINAL DECISION

Robert J. Symmes,

 

Complainants

 

 

against

Docket #FIC 2001-268

Democratic Registrar of Voters,
City of West Haven,

 

 

Respondents

August 22, 2001

 

 

 

 

The above-captioned matter was heard as a contested case on July 12, 2001, at which time the complainant appeared and presented testimony, exhibits and argument on the complaint.  The respondent did not appear.

After consideration of the entire record, the following facts are found and conclusions of law are reached:

1.      The respondent is a public agency within the meaning of §1-200(1), G.S.

 

2.      By letter dated May 24, 2001 the complainant requested a copy of “a complete official voter list for all ten West Haven [districts] for all active voters (regardless of affiliation)” and specifically requested:

 

a.       voter name (first, middle, last, suffix)

b.      street address (house number)

c.       apartment/floor (if applicable)

d.      party affiliation; and

e.       date of birth.

 

3.   It is found that on June 1, 2001 the complainant was informed by the Republican Registrar of Voter’s assistant that his request was denied because he had not returned primary petitions to the registrar.  The complainant did not receive a response directly from the respondent.

 

4.   By letter dated and filed on June 1, 2001 the complainant appealed to this Commission alleging that the respondent violated the Freedom of Information (“FOI”) Act by denying his request. 

 

5.   Section 1-210(a), G.S., provides in relevant part that:

 

[e]xcept as otherwise provided by any federal law or state statute, all records maintained or kept on file by any public agency, whether or not such records are required by any law or by any rule or regulation, shall be public records and every person shall have the right . . . to receive a copy of such records in accordance with the provisions of section 1-212.  Any agency rule or regulation, or part thereof, that conflicts with the provisions of this subsection or diminishes or curtails in any way the rights granted by this subsection shall be void.

 

6.   Section 1-212(a), G.S., provides in relevant part that “[a]ny person applying in writing shall receive, promptly upon request, a plain or certified copy of any public record . . . .”

 

7.   It is found that the respondent maintains records responsive to the complainant’s request described in paragraph 2, above, which are a “phone list” which lists the voter’s street address, full name, party affiliation, date of birth and listed telephone number and an “official list” which lists the voter’s apartment number or floor (where applicable and available).

 

8.   It is found that the records responsive to the complainant’s request are public records within the meaning of §1-210(a), G.S.

 

9.   It is found that by letter dated June 22, 2001 to this Commission, the respondent indicated that he had not spoken with the complainant regarding his request and that the complainant is “not a candidate until he receives the party nomination or he returns his petitions and they are certified.”  The respondent further claimed that the complainant had received “numerous copies of the voters list” in the past and that he [the respondent] had therefore complied with the law in this matter.

 

10.     It is found that the respondent failed to prove that any federal law or state statute requires an individual to establish that he or she is a candidate for office before access to the requested records can be provided.

 

11.  It is also found that the respondent’s obligations under the FOI Act to provide copies of requested records are not affected by the possibility that the complainant may have been provided with copies of such records in the past.

 

12.  It is found that the respondent failed to claim or prove any exemption to the disclosure requirements of §§1-210(a), and 1-212(a), G.S.

 

13.  It is concluded therefore that the respondent violated §§1-210(a) and 1-212(a), G.S., by failing to provide the complainant with copies of the requested records.

 

14.  The Commission notes that respondent’s failure to appear at the hearing on this matter demonstrates a disregard for the Commission’s proceedings in this matter.

 

15.  At the hearing on this matter, the complainant requested the imposition of a civil penalty, which request he subsequently retracted.  However, the Commission cautions the respondent that similar violations of this nature could lead to the imposition of civil penalties.

 

 

The following order by the Commission is hereby recommended on the basis of the record concerning the above-captioned complaint.

 

1.      The respondent shall forthwith provide the complainant with copies of the requested records described in paragraph 7 of the findings, above, free of charge.

 

 

 

Approved by Order of the Freedom of Information Commission at its regular meeting of August 22, 2001.

 

 

_________________________________________

Dolores E. Tarnowski

Clerk of the Commission


 

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 4-180(c), G.S., THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NAMES OF EACH PARTY AND THE MOST RECENT MAILING ADDRESS, PROVIDED TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSION, OF THE PARTIES OR THEIR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE.

 

THE PARTIES TO THIS CONTESTED CASE ARE:

 

Robert J. Symmes

285 Second Avenue

West Haven, CT  06516-5127

 

Democratic Registrar of Voters,

City of West Haven

355 Main Street

West Haven, CT  06516-0526

 

 

 

________________________________

Dolores E. Tarnowski

Clerk of the Commission

 

 

FIC/2001-268/FD/mes/08/24/2001