MARCH 11, 2004

Michigan campaign-finance reports, which once took state workers months to manually scan, are now immediately available for public inspection with the click of a computer mouse, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land said today.

State-level political action, candidate, political party and ballot question committees spending or receiving at least $20,000 are now required to file campaign-finance reports using the Michigan Electronic Reporting and Tracking System (MERTS). Because some reports can consist of hundreds or even thousands of pages, making them available to the public was tremendously time-consuming for the Secretary of State’s Bureau of Elections.

"We’re using technology to improve the connection between citizens and their government," Land said. "Internet-based reporting gives voters immediate access to contribution information that helps them to make informed decisions. It also allows for more accurate and convenient filings by committee staffs. All of Michigan is well served when campaign information is disclosed in a timely, universal manner."

Annual reports for 2003 were due to the Bureau of Elections by Feb. 2.

More than 280 annual reports have been filed to date. They can be viewed on the Secretary of State Web site at www.Michigan.gov/sos.

The Secretary of State has distributed nearly 1,060 copies of the MERTS software to committees free of charge since 1997. Public Act 238 of 1999 amended Michigan’s Campaign Finance Act to require electronic filing beginning in 2004.

Land, a longtime advocate of increased disclosure and "real-time" campaign reporting, pointed out that financial information often arrives after voters go to the polls.

"People have a right to know which interests are backing a candidate or cause before they cast their votes," said Land, who also serves as Michigan’s chief election officer. "Electronic filing gives voters important information now rather than after the fact."

The MERTS program makes searching for contribution reports much easier. The public can track contributions by such identifiers as name, amount, ZIP code, and city or state.

It also greatly aids committees by advising them of common inconsistencies or potential errors during the filing process.

Once a committee meets the $20,000 threshold, all reports from that point forward must be filed electronically, even if that financial level is not maintained.

The MERTS system allows for filing by Internet or disk. Bureau of Elections staffers have been conducting seminars to help committee officials understand the system. Information, training and software also are available at www.mertsplus.com.

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