Indiana improved significantly in Disclosure
Content Accessibility and especially in
web site usability, but still gets an overall
C- because of a low grade in electronic
filing and a weak campaign disclosure law
that ranks among the ten worst in the country.
Indiana
law requires candidates to file one report
in non-election years and one report
before an election. Candidates
must disclose detailed information about
individuals who contribute $100 or more,
including occupation for contributions
of $1,000 or more. Contributors’ employer
information is not required. Last-minute
contributions over $1,000 must be reported
within 48 hours of an election. Expenditures
over $100 must be reported, but subvendor
information is not included and independent
expenditures are not disclosed. Indiana
is the only state in the nation that does
not require reporting of in-kind contributions. Electronic
filing is voluntary for both statewide
and legislative candidates.
Access
to campaign finance data in Indiana improved
in 2004, with several enhancements to
the existing online searchable databases. It
is now possible to search for an expenditure
by purpose, and the revised interface includes
so-called “smart search” features. Results
from a search of the comprehensive system
can now be sorted. The fact that
the Secretary of State’s office manually
enters data from paper-filed reports means
that it can take up to two weeks for campaign
finance records to be posted online, but
pre-election filings are usually available
within one week.
Indiana’s most significant improvement
came in Online Contextual and Technical
Usability. Its grade in this category
jumped from a D- to a B+, and the state
now shares the number three rank for usability
with Alaska and California. The redesigned
disclosure web site includes additional
information about the state’s disclosure
requirements and does a better job labeling
reporting periods within candidates’ reports. The
site still includes an excellent data history
section, handles amended filings well,
and uses clear terminology. It became easier
to locate the disclosure site from the
main Indiana web site, which may account
for the state’s much-improved usability
testing score. To further improve in this
category, the agency could add a simple
list of total amounts raised and spent
by all candidates, to give site visitors
a better overview of campaign finance activity
in the state.
