A thriving democracy demands transparency for the way campaigns are funded so that we the voters can properly evaluate candidates with an understanding of the sources of their campaign money. That’s why MapLight backed a bill that’s just become law in California to increase transparency in local elections. The law requires local governments to post all campaign finance reports online.
Prior to the new law, voters looking for campaign finance information in some counties were required to track down paper records in-person at a government office. The new law means we can now access information about which interests are supporting candidates from the comfort of our own internet connections. That’s real transparency that increases our access to a valuable tool to make informed decisions. We’re proud to have testified in the California Senate in support of the new law, and we’ll continue to fight for greater transparency in California and across the country.
