Grading State Disclosure 2008 Logo Graphic

I d a h o

Grade
Rank
C
31

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Subcategories
Grade
Rank
Campaign Disclosure Law
B-
23
Electronic Filing Program
F
43
Disclosure Content Accessibility
C
29
Online Contextual & Technical Usability
A+
2

Grading Process green cube Subcategory Weighting green cube Methodology green cube Glossary

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The State of Disclosure in Idaho

After earning a D in the 2003 assessment, Idaho has earned Cs in the last four assessments, though the state has dropped in the rankings each year since 2004 as other states have improved. Idaho ranked 2nd in the Online Contextual and Technical Usability category in 2008, and has ranked in the top ten in this area in each of the five assessments.

Idaho earned a B- and ranked 23rd in the Campaign Disclosure Law category in 2008. Candidates must report details about contributors giving more than $50, but occupation and employer data are not disclosed. Expenditure reporting is stronger, requiring disclosure of expenses of $25 or more, including subvendor data and accrued expenditures. Last-minute contributions and independent expenditures are disclosed prior to elections, and the law’s enforcement provisions include mandatory desk reviews and field audits. Idaho still does not offer an electronic filing option, but the Secretary of State’s office reports that such a program may be available within the next few years.

Idaho earned the same grade in the accessibility category as in 2007, and ranked 29th this year. Idaho is one of just three states that do not offer an electronic filing program but do provide an online, searchable database of campaign contributions. The Secretary of State’s office data-enters all campaign finance data, making itemized contributions available through a database that is searchable by donor name or zip code and contribution amount. While search results cannot be sorted or downloaded, the public can easily download larger files that contain all itemized contributions and expenditures for a given election cycle. The site’s main weakness is the lack of a searchable expenditures database. Idaho makes disclosure reports available almost immediately by posting scanned copies of reports online the same day they are received and data-entry is completed within a week.

Idaho again earned a perfect rating on the Grading State Disclosure usability test, and earned an A+ and ranked 2nd in the usability category in 2008. The Secretary of State’s site is well laid out and easy to navigate, and most testers reported they were “very confident” in the data they found on the site. Idaho’s site contains thorough descriptions of the disclosure data available, as well as instructions for how to access the data. The Secretary of State’s office provides clear online summaries of the totals raised and spent by candidates from 1994 to present, which gives the public an excellent overview of campaign financing trends in Idaho.

Quick Fix: Allow database search results to be sorted online and downloaded for offline analysis. 

Editor’s Pick: Summary reports displaying totals raised and spent by all candidates from 1994 to present. View image

Disclosure Agency: Secretary of State
Disclosure Web Site:
http://www.idsos.state.id.us

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First published September 17, 2008
| Last updated September 17 2008
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Campaign Disclosure Project. All rights reserved.