State-by-state ratings and summaries:

Alabama - Iowa

ALABAMA Forecast: Rank: 30 Electronic Filing: 5 Online Disclosure:   37 Bonus Points:   4 Total Rating Points:   46

In 1999, Secretary of State Jim Bennett proposed that candidates raising or spending over $100,000 file electronically. The Alabama Legislature considered his proposal, and the House passed legislation in April. The full legislature failed to commit to the idea before the session ended. Alabama is doing a good job of providing online disclosure information on the Web. The data is available in a timely manner. However, it is only viewable in PDF which prevents users from searching the data. Another problem with Alabama's data is that it is confusing to access -- for example, a listing of all available filings can be viewed only if the name field for candidates is left blank, but nothing explains this. Also, the font size used is small and difficult to read on normal size computer monitors. With a few improvements to its web site, and some legislative progress on e-filing, this state can move out of the "Partly Cloudy" category and into the digital sunlight.

ALASKA Forecast: Rank: 25 Electronic Filing: 25 Online Disclosure:   27 Bonus Points:   3 Total Rating Points:   55

Alaska completed a successful test phase for its voluntary electronic filing program in November 1999, and that program is now open to all candidates. Free filing software is available to candidates via the agency's web site, which includes phone numbers of staff members to call for help when downloading. The agency is data-entering records for candidates who do not file electronically in order to create a comprehensive database of contributions. However, due to budget limitations and the loss of a data-entry staff person, efforts have slowed down, but are still proceeding with existing staff. As of November 1999, the agency was still data-entering records from the 1998 election. While Alaska is publishing some campaign finance data online, the records can only be searched, not browsed, and the site design is somewhat confusing. The records do not include a contributor's city, state and zip code. This information is left off the site in order to "protect the privacy of candidates, groups and individual contributors", according to the agency's web site. Only contributions made by individuals are listed -- not those made by political parties, PACs or groups. The state had a balanced score for both e-filing and disclosure to give it a "Partly Sunny" rating.

ARIZONA Forecast: Rank: 9 Electronic Filing: 40 Online Disclosure:   42 Bonus Points:   7 Total Rating Points:   89

The citizens of Arizona voted through the 1998 Clean Elections Act for a mandatory electronic filing program which is scheduled to begin in January, 2000. Its implementation is expected to be smooth because the state already funded a voluntary program which laid the foundation for the mandatory program. The success of the voluntary program is largely attributed to the popularity of the free filing software provided by the Secretary of State. The software is Windows-based, and has many enhanced features to make it more attractive to filers, including mail merge capabilities and a calendar that alerts the filer of approaching filing deadlines. The online disclosure database is easy to use with good detail and a clean interface to view candidate records. However, all address information for contributors, including city, is suppressed. It also does not include occupation or employer information. Arizona does have an innovative approach to calling attention to delinquent filers -- late reports are highlighted in red on an index page of the web site. If a candidate or committee has not filed a report for a particular period, the index page makes this clear by stating "no activity." Browsing is available for electronically filed records, and as participation in the mandatory program increases, the amount of browsable data on the web site should improve. Arizona's progress over the past several years and its user-friendly web site earn the state a "Mostly Sunny" rating.

ARKANSAS Forecast: Rank: 42 Electronic Filing: 20 Online Disclosure:   4 Bonus Points:   2 Total Rating Points:   26

Arkansas recently made a move toward a voluntary electronic filing program by signing a contract with a vendor to develop a standard filing format. The program is slated to begin in the Fall of 2000, and the state plans to provide free, web-based software to candidates. In addition, the legislature passed a new law in 1999 to allow for electronic filing. The state has no online disclosure of campaign finance information at this time. It expects to begin scanning documents and making them available over the Web by the end of 1999, which will be better than nothing. Hopefully the agency will choose a format for scanned documents that is widely accessible, such as PDF, and take a look at other state sites that are succeeding in making scanned records accessible online.

CALIFORNIA Forecast: Rank: 4 Electronic Filing: 45 Online Disclosure:   41 Bonus Points:   8 Total Rating Points:   94 The California Voter Foundation congratulates the State of California for winning the 1999 Digital Sunlight Award!

In 1997, California passed the Online Disclosure Act, a new law mandating electronic filing of, and Internet access to campaign finance data. The law covers everyone who files with the Secretary of State, including statewide and legislative candidates, initiative campaigns, political parties, PACs, and major donors. The bill, SB 49, was supported by Secretary of State Bill Jones and received bipartisan support in both houses of the legislature. It was signed into law by then-Governor Pete Wilson, and includes a plan to phase in implementation of online disclosure. The first phase took place during the 1998 General Election, when Secretary Jones invited state candidates to participate in a voluntary electronic filing program. Thirty-one candidates signed up, and Jones succeeded in making the records instantly available on the Secretary of State's web site. The bill also required statewide campaigns to file disclosure reports on diskette during the 1998 General Election, and online disclosure of last-minute campaign contributions. Throughout 1999, the agency has been conducting workshops and developing a standard filing format to prepare for the mandatory electronic filing program. Unfortunately, no free software is currently available to filers, making California the only state with a mandatory program that is not offering free software. The second phase of the program begins on January 27, 2000, when mandatory electronic filing begins for all state filers that raise or spend $100,000 or more during the primary election cycle. The third and final phase of implementation begins on July 1, 2000, when the threshold for mandatory electronic filing drops to $50,000. The Secretary of State's office has done an excellent job of publishing campaign data online, and has actively sought the public's design ideas and input. When fully implemented next year, the state's new online disclosure law will bring California, home to some of the most expensive campaigns in the world, some much needed digital sunlight.

COLORADO Forecast: Rank: 26 Electronic Filing: 17 Online Disclosure:   36 Bonus Points:   2 Total Rating Points:   55

The Fair Campaign Practices Act, passed by Colorado voters in 1996, directed the Secretary of State to establish a voluntary electronic filing program. However, the state has made little progress toward implementing it and does not expect to see the program up until sometime in 2001, according to Elections Director, Ed Arcuri, who is part of a new administration at the agency. Some previous work on software development was undertaken in-house but is unusable according to the agency. Now a lack of financing is holding up the program. The agency is asking the legislature for funding but the earliest it may be approved is May, 2000. The disclosure web site does contain a lot of information dating back to 1988, but is not very user-friendly. Data can only be searched by contributor name. Other problems were encountered as well. It is difficult to tell which offices candidates were seeking. Itemized contributions do not include occupation or employer information. An improved search function would provide better access to the information that is online. Time and money are now working against a new administration at the agency which appears committed to getting the program back on track.

CONNECTICUT Forecast: Rank: 22 Electronic Filing: 45 Online Disclosure:   7 Bonus Points:   7 Total Rating Points:   59

Connecticut has a mandatory electronic filing program up and running - but with a very high threshold. Only those candidates raising $250,000 or more must file electronically. Others may file voluntarily. Legislation in 1999 would have lowered the threshold to $35,000 but the bill stalled in committee. This effectively leaves the state with one of the weakest mandatory programs in the country. It appears there is campaign data available on the web but the search interface is elaborate, perhaps too elaborate. It is frustrating and time-consuming to configure the search page, only to find that no data appears to be on the site. The agency should consider establishing a simpler search interface, one with beginner and advanced functions to avoid scaring off less experienced users. To its credit, the agency is aware of this problem and is moving to correct it by, among other things, asking the legislature for additional funds to improve the system. Hopefully progress will be made in time to make the most of Connecticut's mandatory electronic filings due between now and the November 2000 election.

DELAWARE Forecast: Rank: 45 Electronic Filing: 10 Online Disclosure:   4 Bonus Points:   0 Total Rating Points:   14

Delaware is developing a voluntary, web-based filing system, and had planned to begin offering it to filers in June, 1999. However, the launch has been delayed and is now scheduled for January, 2000. A test phase is currently underway, and the agency is developing the program with $250,000 appropriated for hardware and software. The Elections Department has absolutely no campaign finance data available online. Other basic information is also lacking -- including contact information, such as phone, address or email for the division.

FLORIDA Forecast: Rank: 11 Electronic Filing: 27 Online Disclosure:   47 Bonus Points:   10 Total Rating Points:   84

Florida has a mandatory electronic filing program but because of a major loophole providing for exemptions, its program compares to other states' voluntary programs in terms of participation rates. Candidates and committees can exempt themselves from the mandatory requirement by writing a letter to the elections division stating they are not able to comply. The rate of participation was from 35 to 40 percent for both 1998 and 1999. The agency is compensating for low electronic filing participation by data-entering reports using prison labor. The agency is working on a free, web-based electronic filing program which they hope will result in a higher rate of compliance, though it says poor funding has hampered these efforts. Florida has an excellent disclosure database which could serve as a model for other states. It is easy to use with good explanatory notes and offers well-designed search, browse and download functions. It contains good, comprehensive, detailed information, including contributions as low as $5 and historical data. Along with information for statewide races, the database includes records for local elections.

GEORGIA Forecast: Rank: 31 Electronic Filing: 3 Online Disclosure:   32 Bonus Points:   10 Total Rating Points:   45

Secretary of State Cathy Cox has researched software vendors and is working with the legislature to get some form of electronic filing program underway in Georgia. SB 225 was introduced in 1999, and remains active going into the 2000 session. The bill's author cites a cautious attitude toward the Internet and computers as the main obstacle to passing the bill. Governor Roy Barnes and several advocacy groups are working to keep the bill moving forward. In the meantime, the Secretary of State is publishing scanned reports on its disclosure web site. The site contains all reports from 1998, and the files are easily viewable in PDF, which is better than nothing and hopefully just the start of digital disclosure in Georgia.

HAWAII Forecast: Rank: 5 Electronic Filing: 45 Online Disclosure:   46 Bonus Points:   0 Total Rating Points:   91 The California Voter Foundation congratulates the State of Hawaii for winning the 1999 Digital Sunlight Award!

Hawaii has been a trailblazer in the digital disclosure movement. It was among the first states to implement a mandatory electronic filing program and demonstrate how such a program can result in instant online disclosure. Hawaii's Campaign Spending Commission, headed by Bob Watada, continues to be one of the most innovative in its efforts to ensure the most complete and timely disclosure possible. The state's mandatory filing program covers statewide and local candidates but does not cover legislative candidates. Two versions of an amendment are being considered by Hawaii's legislature that would include them in the mandate. One would require mandatory electronic filing by legislators in 2000, the other by 2004. Currently, about twenty-five percent of all legislators are filing electronically on a voluntary basis. Hawaii's disclosure database gets high marks for its ease of use, comprehensive data, user-friendly data fields, and its search, download and browse functions. It contains historical data back to 1996. It is unfortunate, however, that for legislative candidates, information is not complete. This is due to the fact that the legislature exempted itself from mandatory electronic filing. The agency will begin scanning legislative contribution reports and posting them online by the end of 1999.

IDAHO Forecast: Rank: 28 Electronic Filing: 0 Online Disclosure:   36 Bonus Points:   12 Total Rating Points:   48

Idaho has no electronic filing program planned and no real advocate in the legislature. The general argument in the legislature against it appears to be cost. Because of this, Idaho is one of only five states to score no points in the electronic filing section. The state earned high marks for its online disclosure data, which includes reports compiled by the agency providing itemized campaign contributions to statewide and legislative candidates. These reports are published online in PDF. The agency also offers a comprehensive database of campaign contributions for the past three election cycles, which can be downloaded and opened in Excel. Unfortunately, contributors' occupation and employer data is not available. In addition, the web site is somewhat difficult to locate and awkwardly designed.

ILLINOIS Forecast: Rank: 1 Electronic Filing: 45 Online Disclosure:   46 Bonus Points:   8 Total Rating Points:   99 The California Voter Foundation congratulates the State of Illinois for winning the 1999 Digital Sunlight Award!

Illinois has come a long way in a short period of time. Just a few years ago, anyone who wished to look at campaign finance reports at the agency's office was required by law to complete a form disclosing his or her name and address. A copy of this form was then sent to the person whose reports were viewed. This procedure had a chilling effect on public disclosure. Today, Illinois ranks number one in the country for its digital disclosure efforts. A mandatory electronic filing program was enacted in May 1998, and goes into effect in January, 2000. The law requires committees that spend, collect, or have a balance of $25,000 or more during the preceding six-month period to file electronically. This threshold drops to $10,000 in July, 2003. A successful voluntary program jumped from 12 filers in April 1999 to 156 in July of that year. The state is working on a second version of its free filing software to incorporate additional features such as importing existing address files. Both the first version of the software and training sessions held throughout the state were popular with filers. But not everyone is happy with Illinois' success. In late 1999 a bill was amended to change Illinois from a mandatory e-filing state to a voluntary one. Disclosure advocates and Illinois newspapers drew attention to this last-minute attempt, and the bill died. The disclosure web site is very comprehensive and includes information on all state and local races with a high level of detail. It is easy to use and search. Only those who contribute over $500 are listed, along with in-kind contributions. Expenditure data is also comprehensive. Hopefully a download function will be added soon. The main campaign finance page contains a box with the overall status of the latest reporting period including: the number of active committees; reports actually filed; and whether filers disclosed on paper or electronically. This was a simple and useful feature that other states might also consider providing. Features such as this made the site a pleasure to use and a favorite. It should serve as a model for other states.

INDIANA Forecast: Rank: 13 Electronic Filing: 25 Online Disclosure:   42 Bonus Points:   12 Total Rating Points:   79

Voluntary electronic filing by disk is available to all statewide and state district candidates, PACs and parties. However, only two reports have been submitted electronically in the past two years. The legislature has appropriated funds for the past several years to support digital disclosure but so far no free filing software has been developed. This perhaps explains the lack of electronic filers. The agency's web site contains specifications for a standard filing format which can be used by the private sector to create filing software. Despite the absence of a mandatory filing system, and limited participation in the voluntary program, Indiana does have a comprehensive disclosure database with detailed contributor information and cumulative contribution totals. No occupation or employer data is given. "Supplemental large contribution reports" are available for some candidates. However, some of this detail is obscured by poor web site design. A little more work would make this site much easier to use. While there is room for improvement, Indiana scores high bonus points for offering detailed information on PACs, party committees, lobbyists, and statements of economic interest, placing the state in the "Mostly Sunny" category.

IOWA Forecast: Rank: 34 Electronic Filing: 33 Online Disclosure:   5 Bonus Points:   0 Total Rating Points:   38

The Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board is working hard to promote its voluntary electronic filing program by conducting one-on-one and group training seminars on how to use its free software. According to the agency's web site, "the number of electronic filers is slowly growing as the software is revised and perfected." The program went into effect in January, 1998 with a gradual increase in participation over two filing periods. The program was initially funded with grants but is now running on the agency's budget, which a spokesperson said is tight. There is currently no legislation pending to make electronic filing mandatory. Iowa has no information regarding campaign finance or contributions online. The agency has placed a notice on its web site stating it plans to put summary data online but it is unclear whether they plan to make itemized contributions available on the Internet as well.

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