Significant
improvement in the areas of web site
usability and Disclosure Content Accessibility
caused Oregon’s overall
grade to rise from a D to a C-, with a
corresponding rise in the state’s
overall rank in this study. Oregon’s
governor signed campaign disclosure legislation
in August 2005 (HB 3458) which took effect
immediately and will bring about further
improvements.
Though
Oregon’s disclosure law has
changed, its grade in the law category
is still a B and reflects revisions to
the law only through December 2004. The
new law will require more frequent reporting
of contributions and expenditures, particularly
in the weeks leading up to an election.
Candidates are now required to report
detailed information about contributors
giving $100 or more (up from $50), including
occupation and employer. Expenditure
disclosure is excellent, with all payments
over $100 reported in detail. All state-level candidates
filing disclosure reports with the Secretary
of State’s office must file those reports
electronically, and HB 3458 directs the agency
to develop a free, electronic filing system.
Oregon
made a number of improvements in the
area of Disclosure Content Accessibility
that are reflected in the state’s
improved rank in this category (from 45th
to 35th), but the changes were not enough
to raise its grade above an F. The
site now contains disclosure filings for
all candidates, including itemized contribution
and expenditure data, that can be browsed
online but not sorted or downloaded. The
main reason for the low grade is that the
state’s disclosure web site is still
lacking a searchable database of itemized
disclosure records, though HB 3458 also
mandated that a searchable database be
created and made available online. The
Secretary of State’s office hopes
to have a database in place by January
2007.
Oregon
raised its Online Contextual and Technical
Usability grade from an F to a D in 2005,
because it added information to help
the public determine which candidates’ records
are available online, offers web site visitors
the option of viewing both original and
amended filings, and added instructions
for how to use the site. The state
also received a slightly higher score in
the usability test, with one tester giving
the web site a rating of 5 on a 5-point
scale.
→ Quick
Fix: Add the complete
reporting period (rather than just the
report name) to the index of each candidate’s
disclosure filings.
♦ Editor’s
Pick: Synopsis
of changes made to Oregon’s
election and campaign finance laws
in 2005, compiled by the Secretary
of State. View image
