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The State of Disclosure in Washington
Washington
has earned the top grade and rank in each
of the five Grading State Disclosure assessments
conducted since 2003, and improved from
an A- in 2007 to an A in 2008. Washington
improved from a C to an A- in the usability
category since the last assessment and earned
As and top-three rankings in each scoring
category this year.
Washington earned an A- and ranked 3rd in
the disclosure law category in 2008. Candidates
must itemize contributions over $25, including
occupation and employer data for those donating
over $100. Last-minute contributions must
be reported prior to Election Day. Disclosure
of campaign expenses is also strong, and
includes information about subvendors and
accrued expenditures. Independent expenditures
are disclosed, and those made in the 21 days
leading up to an election must be reported
within 24 hours. Washington earned an A+
and a top ranking again for its electronic
filing program. Both statewide and legislative
candidates who reach a threshold of $10,000
must file their disclosure reports electronically
with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC).
Washington
earned its fifth straight A+ and number
one ranking in the Disclosure Content Accessibility
category in 2008. Washington’s
online, searchable databases of contributions
and expenditures are among the most comprehensive
in the nation and contain both
electronic reports and paper-filed reports
that have been data-entered by PDC staff.
The database offers multiple search fields
and results can be sorted online or downloaded
for offline analysis. Electronic reports
become available online immediately after
they are filed, and paper filings are accessible
online the same day they are filed, usually
within two hours of receipt. Access to paper
copies of disclosure records is excellent,
and the agency also offers campaign finance
data on disk for $2-$10 depending on the
volume of data requested.
Washington
improved from a C in 2007 to an A- in 2008
and jumped 13 places in the usability rankings
with a much stronger performance on the
usability test. Washington was one of seven
states to achieve the highest possible
rating on the 2008 test as most testers
found the site easy to understand and reported
high levels of confidence with the site.
A possible reason for the stronger performance
is the new “Campaign Money Map” that
clearly shows the total amount raised by
each gubernatorial candidate in the 2008,
2004, and 2000 elections. Although it debuted
after the 2008 web site evaluation period,
the PDC did unveil an excellent, new search
interface in July 2008 that provides easy
access to campaign data for all users (from
novice to advanced) and allows a wide range
of search and sort options for those wanting
to conduct more advanced research. The new
system allows the public to navigate from
the state’s web site to summary disclosure
data within three mouse clicks, a remarkably
efficient process.
→ Quick
Fix: Provide an overall explanation
of the data available through both
the searchable database and browsable
reports sections of the PDC’s
site, including which specific offices,
reports, and time periods are covered
by the data. Currently, explanations
are given throughout the site, but
site visitors would benefit from
a single, clear description of the
data available.
♦ Editor’s
Pick: The “Campaign
Money Map” offers a quick
and easy way to determine which
gubernatorial candidate has raised
the most money on a statewide or
county-by-county level for the
2000, 2004, and 2008 elections. View
image View
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 Disclosure Agency: Public Disclosure Commission
Disclosure Web Site: http://www.pdc.wa.gov
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