Posts with the tag New Mexico Secretary of State
At this point during election years in New Mexico, familiar themes seem to emerge. Candidates for office at all levels define themselves and their opponents (aggressively in some cases), while radio and television are flooded with all manner of advertisements. Our state also draws an inordinate amount of national attention, especially during presidential election years.
New Mexico's election years are beginning to add another theme to the list of familiars. That theme of course is the inaccuracy and malfunctioning of the Secretary of State's online reporting system. Unfortunately for the people of our state, this problem is rather unique to The Land of Enchantment. In the year 2008, practically every state in the country has a functioning, real-time campaign reporting system that is fully searchable and easy-to-use.
In order to understand the magnitude of this painful saga, I believe it is instructive to review the lack of progress over the past five years.
Let's take a look at the time line.
2003: The legislature overwhelmingly approves amendments (including requirements for electronic filing of campaign reports) to the Campaign Reporting Act. The amendments are set to go into effect in 2006, giving the Secretary of State a full three years to implement a workable system.
2004-2005: Advocates, supportive elected officials and state employees work to help implement the electronic filing system.
2006: After a three-year grace period, amendments to the Campaign Reporting Act, including electronic reporting requirements, go into effect (January 1). Beginning with the primary elections, candidates for public office, the media and the public quickly learn of major system deficiencies. The general election brings the deficiencies into full view.
2007: After a disastrous first-run with the electronic filing system, there is a major effort in the legislature to return to paper records. Thankfully, this effort is thwarted.
2008: Five years after the passage of amendments to the Campaign Reporting Act, the electronic filing system at the Secretary of State's office is still completely deficient (link) (link).
There you have it, folks. Five years and we are still waiting for some semblance of transparency and accurate information from the Secretary of State's office.
New Mexico's election years are beginning to add another theme to the list of familiars. That theme of course is the inaccuracy and malfunctioning of the Secretary of State's online reporting system. Unfortunately for the people of our state, this problem is rather unique to The Land of Enchantment. In the year 2008, practically every state in the country has a functioning, real-time campaign reporting system that is fully searchable and easy-to-use.
In order to understand the magnitude of this painful saga, I believe it is instructive to review the lack of progress over the past five years.
Let's take a look at the time line.
2003: The legislature overwhelmingly approves amendments (including requirements for electronic filing of campaign reports) to the Campaign Reporting Act. The amendments are set to go into effect in 2006, giving the Secretary of State a full three years to implement a workable system.
2004-2005: Advocates, supportive elected officials and state employees work to help implement the electronic filing system.
2006: After a three-year grace period, amendments to the Campaign Reporting Act, including electronic reporting requirements, go into effect (January 1). Beginning with the primary elections, candidates for public office, the media and the public quickly learn of major system deficiencies. The general election brings the deficiencies into full view.
2007: After a disastrous first-run with the electronic filing system, there is a major effort in the legislature to return to paper records. Thankfully, this effort is thwarted.
2008: Five years after the passage of amendments to the Campaign Reporting Act, the electronic filing system at the Secretary of State's office is still completely deficient (link) (link).
There you have it, folks. Five years and we are still waiting for some semblance of transparency and accurate information from the Secretary of State's office.
It's already deplorable that the State of New Mexico requires so few campaign expenditure reports - just two - before the June primary, and both of them fall after voters have already begun voting with absentee ballots.
Now, the latest news that the Secretary of State's office won't have campaign information online until May 26th is simply ludicrous, after hundreds of thousands of tax dollars and sworn promises to fix this system that has been broken since... well, forever.
By May 26th, it's possible that at least a third of voters who will cast ballots for this year's primary will have already voted, without even the chance to see who is funding candidates.
New Mexicans deserve a better answer than a "sluggish database." Other states with monstrously more candidates and voters have managed to have a searchable, online and timely reporting system that is easy for both candidates and citizens to use for years.
If the primary is a test-run for the general election for the new staff at the Secretary of State's office, we're in for potentially catastrophic problems in November. In a state that seems to like razor-thin margins, that's not a good sign.
Now, the latest news that the Secretary of State's office won't have campaign information online until May 26th is simply ludicrous, after hundreds of thousands of tax dollars and sworn promises to fix this system that has been broken since... well, forever.
By May 26th, it's possible that at least a third of voters who will cast ballots for this year's primary will have already voted, without even the chance to see who is funding candidates.
New Mexicans deserve a better answer than a "sluggish database." Other states with monstrously more candidates and voters have managed to have a searchable, online and timely reporting system that is easy for both candidates and citizens to use for years.
If the primary is a test-run for the general election for the new staff at the Secretary of State's office, we're in for potentially catastrophic problems in November. In a state that seems to like razor-thin margins, that's not a good sign.
Yesterday was the first deadline of the year for candidates to file campaign finance reports with the Secretary of State's office. Candidates are encouraged (I write "encouraged" because anybody filing a report can claim a "hardship" and fax in their paper reports) to file donation and expenditure reports on-line.
According to news reports, the Secretary of State's office has announced that it is granting a 24-hour extension for candidates to file. Additionally, the public learned this morning that this first set of campaign finance reports will not be available on-line until May 26th.
May 26th. That's just one week before the June 3rd primary election. Consider that the second candidate campaign finance report is due to be filed on May 29th. If the Secretary of State's office continues this practice of delayed public disclosure, then the second report won't be available until June 12th -- nine days after the primary election.
Folks, it's 2008. New Mexico has had an electronic reporting law on the books for five years.
Ostensibly, the law has been in effect for over two years.
With today's news of deadline extensions and two-week delays, one can only conclude that, when it comes to on-line reporting and public transparency, the Land of Enchantment has been thrown back to the Dark Ages.
According to news reports, the Secretary of State's office has announced that it is granting a 24-hour extension for candidates to file. Additionally, the public learned this morning that this first set of campaign finance reports will not be available on-line until May 26th.
May 26th. That's just one week before the June 3rd primary election. Consider that the second candidate campaign finance report is due to be filed on May 29th. If the Secretary of State's office continues this practice of delayed public disclosure, then the second report won't be available until June 12th -- nine days after the primary election.
Folks, it's 2008. New Mexico has had an electronic reporting law on the books for five years.
Ostensibly, the law has been in effect for over two years.
With today's news of deadline extensions and two-week delays, one can only conclude that, when it comes to on-line reporting and public transparency, the Land of Enchantment has been thrown back to the Dark Ages.
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