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The State of Disclosure in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
received a slightly higher score for web
site usability in 2005, but its overall grade
and rank remained static at a C+ and 12 respectively. Its
biggest strengths are still in Electronic
Filing and Online Contextual and Technical
Usability, and it ranks within the top five
in both categories.
The
state’s campaign disclosure law
requires candidates to report details for contributors
giving at least $50, including occupation and
employer for those contributing above $200.
Expenditures above $50 are reported, but
detailed information does not include subvendor
payments. A weak point in the law is the
lack of reporting of last-minute contributions
and independent expenditures prior to the
election; voters don’t find out about
that money until candidates file post-election
reports. Statewide candidates who raise or
spend more than $50,000 and legislative candidates
raising or spending more than $5,000 must
file reports electronically.
The
Office of Campaign and Political Finance
web site provides good access to campaign
records through searchable contribution and
expenditure databases, as well as complete
filings that can be browsed by site visitors.
Electronic filings are available on the disclosure
site in real time, and in fall 2004 the agency
began posting scanned images of independent
expenditures, which are not filed electronically,
as well. To make the system even more complete,
the agency could add data from paper-filed
reports to its databases, and give
site users the ability to search by contributor
zip code, expenditure amount, and expenditure
purpose.
Massachusetts’ only
measurable improvement in this year’s
study was a slight increase in its usability
test score. Even so, testers had mixed reactions
to the disclosure web site, with most feeling
confident in the accuracy of data, but some
expressing confusion about the site’s
terminology. Reorganizing
the site, which contains lots of excellent
contextual and summary information, might help
improve navigation and usability.
→ Quick
Fix: Improve site
navigation by changing the color of visited
links.
♦ Editor’s
Pick: Electronic
Report Log (view image) listing the most recently
filed reports, and Report
Status feature (view image.)
 Disclosure Agency: Office of Campaign and Political Finance
Disclosure Web Site: http://www.state.ma.us/ocpf
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