The State of Disclosure in New Jersey

New Jersey again received an overall C and its rank fell from 8 to 15, but the state’s campaign disclosure law is now among the top ten in the country, and changes are on the way in each of the other three categories.

New Jersey law requires candidates to file quarterly statements in both non-election and election years, plus two statements before each election.  Candidates report detailed information for contributions of $300 or more (down from $400), including occupation and employer.  Last-minute contributions must be reported prior to the election.  Details, including subvendor information, must be reported for all expenditures.  Independent expenditures must be disclosed and last-minute independent expenditures have to be reported prior to the election.  Electronic filing is still voluntary in New Jersey, however the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) has proposed mandatory e-filing for publicly-funded gubernatorial candidates beginning with the 2005 election, and is considering an e-filing requirement for legislative candidates.

New Jersey’s Disclosure Content Accessibility grade improved only slightly in 2004, but many significant improvements are coming, according to the disclosure agency.  The ELEC web site currently features a comprehensive database of contributions, as well as complete filings that have been scanned and can be browsed.  The cumbersome FileNet software currently required to view the scanned reports is being replaced with a more accessible system, which alone will be a huge step forward.  There are also plans to offer a “quick download” option, enhanced search capability for the contributions database, and a new searchable database of expenditures.  When those changes are put into place, the result will be a state that is providing excellent access to campaign finance records, both on paper and through the Internet.

The weakest part of New Jersey’s disclosure program after Electronic Filing is in Online Contextual and Technical Usability, and the state’s grade in this category dropped from a C- to a D.  But changes are anticipated in web site usability as well; the Election Law Enforcement Commission is currently undertaking a study of its web site, and states that many features are in the process of being changed, added, and enhanced.  For example, the agency plans to provide a list of all candidates and committees, add filing period information to browsable reports, and post current summaries of amounts raised and spent by all candidates.

Disclosure Agency: Election Law Enforcement Commission
Disclosure Web Site: http://www.elec.state.nj.us