Using the

Internet in

Election

Offices

Using the

Internet in

Election Offices

Author:

David Maidenberg

8025 Claridge Road

Indianapolis, Indiana 46260

Managed and Edited by:

William C. Kimberling

Office of Election Administration

Published by:

Office of Election Administration

Federal Election Commission

Washington, D.C. 20463

April 1998
11
Introduction by the

Office of Election

Administration

This report is another in the series on Innovations in Election Administration being published by the FEC's Office of Election Administration.

The purpose of this series is to acquaint

State and local election officials with innovative election procedures and technologies that

have been successfully implemented by their

colleagues around the country.

Our reports on these innovations do

not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the Federal Election Commission

either of any specific procedures described or of any vendors, suppliers, or

products that might be identified in the

report. Moreover, the views and opinions

expressed in these reports are those of

the author and are not necessarily shared

by the Federal Election Commission or

any division thereof.

We welcome your comments on these reports

as well as any suggestions you may have for

future topics. You may mail these to us at:

The Office of Election Administration

Federal Election Commission

999 E. Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20463

or else contact us

Direct on

Toll free on

By FAX on

e-mail on

202/694-1095

800/424-9530

202/219-8500

bkimberling@fec.gov

in
Acknowledgements

My thanks go to the hundreds of individuals who provided information

for this project. Many people filled out survey forms, responded to telephone

calls, e-mails and other appeals for information. My thanks also go to the

managers, employees, technicians and advocates who have explored—or

enabled the exploration of—the Internet and its use as a medium for

enhancing election administration. In this regard, this publication was

written by hundreds of people.

Special thanks go to:

• Bill Kimberling and Penelope Bonsall at the Federal Election

Commission's Office of Election Administration for enabling this project

and for their patience and guidance with it;

• Ed Packard for his written contributions, advice, and for creating both

the ElecNet Web site as well as the ElecNet listserv, both of which

greatly enhanced the research for this project;

• And to the writers and publishers who allowed their work to be share

with this project:

• Larry Magid (of "Larry's World")

• John Kaufeld and the Indianapolis Business Journal

• Kim Alexander and the California Voter Foundation

• Craig B. Holman, Robert Jystad, Robert M. Stern and the National

Resource Center for State & Local Campaign Finance Reform

IV
Parti:

An Overview for

the Beginner and

Non-Believer

1. The InterWhat?

"I thought this was something I could ignore," said an acquaintance recently, referring

to the Internet. "But I am finding that I can't."

Many of us who are uncomfortable with

high-tech stuff first assumed the Internet and

"online" services were fads that would eventually become unfashionable. Then we thought

these things would just pass us by, leaving us

in the dust with our jokes about being

"roadkiU" on the information superhighway.

Wrong — on both counts. The Internet will

evolve, but it won't go away. Neither is it going to leave us alone. It is transforming our

world: how we communicate, how we educate,

how we do business, and how we work, among

many other — nearly all — facets of modern

life.

The dramatic transformation in just the last

few years is just the tip of a massive iceberg.

As fast as the Internet is transforming us, the

"Net" itself is evolving, growing more sophisticated, and reaching more people every day.

Some have compared the phenomena to the

debut of the telephone or early television: a

seemingly small step that balloons into a major cultural transformation. Judging by the

global growth of the Internet and its impact

on widely varying facets of life, such comparisons may be difficult to refute. Indeed, even

television and the telephone may be transformed in the days to come by the Internet.

But what does this have to do with elections?

The long answer is what this publication is

about. The short answer is that election administration, like almost every thing else, can

be enhanced by an appropriate use of the

Internet. It is already happening — and is

spreading like a brush fire in a dry wind.

Use of the Internet in election

administration makes such good

sense that someday we will likely

see laws requiring it.

In mid-1995, only a handful of State election offices were using the Internet. By the end

of 1996, practically all of them were either connected or planning to be. Local election offices

are also jumping in with both feet. And their

constituents — like the agencies themselves

— are better off because of it.

Using the Internet in election offices makes

such good sense that someday we will likely

see laws requiring it. We have already seen

the forerunners of this (see Chapter 9).

Regardless of requirements, hundreds of

State and local election administrators already
feel that agency missions require them to use

this inexpensive medium to better reach their

public. As desktop computers have become

standard tools in election offices, so too will

the Internet. It is already happening - even in

the smallest of jurisdictions.

In this twilight of the twentieth century,

election officials (among others) who think they

can ignore the Internet may want to consider

the words of a prominent economist who recently said, "If you don't know how to use a

computer and if you don't know how to access

the Internet, then you are probably on your

way to becoming obsolete."

Well now don't get discouraged. The good

news is that using the Internet is not that difficult, nor need it be expensive. In fact, most

find it to be fun. Furthermore, as an election

official, you don't need to be a computer whiz.

You only need to know how to manage and to

keep your mind open. Chances are, if you are

reading these words, then you have the inquisitiveness and resources to lead your agency into

the 21st century and the age of the Internet.

What follows is a collection of material on

the use of the Internet by election officials,

some written by me, some by others. It is "nontechnical" — written for election officials —

not their computer staff. This publication discusses what the Internet can do for you and

your constituents, provides some ideas on "how

to get there from here." I also include some

thoughts on various issues along the way.

First however, let's take a quick look at

Internet basics. Columnist Larry Magid, in the

next section, offers a brief look at this technology, followed by a glossary of terms. After that,

we'll take a quick look at how your colleagues

in State and local election offices are already

using the Internet.
2. Larry Magid's

Concise Guide to

the Internet

by Lawrence J. Magid

What is the Internet?

The Internet is a global network of computers. Any computer connected to the Internet

can communicate with any other computer on

the Internet. The Internet is neither a single

computer nor even a single service. Think of it

like a world-wide highway system. You can get

from any highway to any other highway,

though not necessarily via a direct route. The

Internet has rules, called protocols, that determine how data gets from one connected computer to another.

Where Did the Internet Come From

and Who Owns It?

The Internet evolved out of the Department

of Defense's "ARPANET" project which was

started in 1969 to link military researchers at

four universities. It was designed as a decentralized network so that it couldn't be knocked

out by a single nuclear attack. During the

1980s, the Internet was adopted by the National Science Foundation which provided

funding to make it available to a wider array

of scientists and researchers. Later it was

opened up to commercial traffic.

No one owns or even governs the Internet.

It's a decentralized network that is supported

by the companies and institutions that access

it. There is no single governing body however

there is a project, called InterNIC, which registers Internet domain (names).

How Do I Connect to the Internet?

You can connect to the Internet via a commercial online service such as Prodigy,

CompuServe or America Online or through any

of thousands of Internet service provider such

as Netcom or PSI. Most home users connect to

one of these services by using a computer

equipped with a modem to dial in over a regular phone line. Many businesses, universities,

government agencies and other organizations

have a direct connection to an Internet provider, often via a special high-speed "digital"

line. Regardless, once you are connected to a

provider, the provider links you to the Internet.

What is the difference between an

Internet service provider and an

online service?

The distinctions are starting to blur, but

online services generally provide a connection

to the Internet as well as proprietary data that

is available only to their subscribers. Internet

service providers generally provide a connec-
tion to the Internet but no special data. Online

services like America Online, CompuServe and

Prodigy, have been designed for ease of use,

though the Internet, too, is getting easier to

use over time.

What is the World Wide Web and

What's a Web Site?

The World Wide Web has become extremely

popular because it is easy to use and rich in

terms of the type of information it provides. It

was developed in 1989 by CERN, the European Laboratory for Participle Physics, as a

way to transfer information between researchers around the world. It is distinctive in two

regards. First, it adds a graphical front-end to

the Internet so that users can get where they

want to go by pointing and clicking with their

mouse on pictures as well as words. Second,

people who create "web sites" are able to link

users to any other web site. Users who "surf"

the World Wide Web are able to quickly move

from one site to another just by clicking on

"links" that are part of the site they're on. A

link transfers you to another web page anywhere on the World Wide Web.

A web site is a place on the World Wide web

that is maintained by a person, organization

or business. It can be as little as one screen or

a vast number of screens, or "pages," containing enormous quantities of information. The

Encyclopedia of Britannica, for example, is a

single web site that contains as much information as the multi-volume printed edition.

How Do Messages Get from Plac

to Place?

Messages sent over the Internet can travel

directly from your Internet service provider to

that of the person you're communicating with,

but often they travel indirect routes. In fact,

messages are sometimes broken apart into

small packets or envelopes. Each one of these

packets can travel a different route until it gets

to where it is going. Then they are re-assembled to form a single message. This is called

packet switching.

What Type of Data Can Travel Over

the Internet?

The Internet can handle all types of data

including text, numbers, programs, illustrations, photographs, audio, animation and

video. Anything you can view on a computer

screen or hear through a computer's speakers

can be transmitted over the Internet. It's not

possible to transport objects or people — at

least not yet!

What is "bandwidth" and why is it

so important?

Think of the Internet as a series of pipes

that carry data. Little pipes can carry only a

small amount of data while larger pipes carry

more data. Bandwidth refers to the size of the

pipe or the amount of data that can be handled

at any one time. Larger pipes, or more bandwidth, not only mean that more people can use

the Internet at any one time but it also means

that people can work with larger files. Text and

numbers take up relatively little bandwidth

but audio takes up a lot more and video a great

deal more. A single photograph can take up as
much bandwidth as thousands of words, making the old adage, "a picture's worth a thousand words," a bit of an understatement.

How Are Web Pages and Web Sites

Created?

A web page is created using a language

called HTML (hyper text markup language).

This sounds complicated but it really isn't.

HTML is basically text with some "tags" or

commands that tell it how to display graphics

or how to link to other sites. It's not that hard

to learn HTML, but you don't have to know a

line of HTML to create web pages or a web

site. That's because there are numerous programs available that let you create web sites

just as there are word processing programs

that help you create documents. Programs like

Microsoft's FrontPage, Claris Home Page,

Corel WebDesigner and Netscape Gold, are like

word processing programs for creating web

pages. They are very easy to use.

What Else Does the Internet

Offer Besides the World Wide Web?

Although one of its most popular features,

the World Wide Web is only one of many services available over the Internet. The most

popular Internet service is electronic mail. Just

about anyone connected to the Internet can

now send mail to anyone else on the Net. Another very popular feature, called

"Newsgroups," are like forums or bulletin

boards. One person posts a message and others respond. Everyone can read what everyone else says and you don't all have to be in

the same time zone or online at the same time.

That's because newsgroup messages are saved

so that people can look at them and respond

at any time.

Another popular service is called "Chat" or

"Internet Relay Chat." Unlike Newsgroups,

chat sessions are "real time." Think of a chat

session as a global party line where many

people can speak and listen at the same time.

Anything you type will instantly be displayed

on the screen of anyone else who is turned into

the same "channel" as you.

The Internet also lets you transfer files from

one computer to another. This is called ftp or

file transfer protocol. You can now use the

Internet to listen to audio or watch short videos. It's even possible to use the Internet as a

voice or video phone system.

What Are Those Funny Things that

Start with http://?

It's hard to read a newspaper or even watch

a TV program these days without seeing a web

address, usually starting with http://. Actually,

a web address is known as a Universal Resource Locator or URL and it's not that hard

to decipher.

All web site addresses start with http://. But

many sites no longer include it as part of their

name and it's not necessary to type in http://

when you enter a web address in a browser.

The next part of an address, often, is www.

This is optional and an increasing number of

web sites aren't even using it. It stands for

World Wide Web. The next part of the address

is the domain name. This is actually a two part

item. The first is often the name or an abbreviation of the company or organization such

as Bankamerica, latimes, ucla, etc. The next

part of it is the type of domain. It it's a company it is usually followed by .com (for commercial). Educational organizations are followed by .edu. Military is .mil and government
agencies are .gov. So, http://www.ibm.com is

IBM's web site. UCLA's is http://www.

ucla.edu. The President of the United State's

web site is http://www.whitehouse.gov.

© 1996 Lawrence J. Magid

Reprinted with permission.

Lawrence J. Magid is a syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times and contributing editor of HomePC. His web site, "Larry's

World" (Tittp://www.larrysworld.comj contains numerous articles about computing

and the Internet. His e-mail address is

magid@latimes.com.
3. Terms of

Endearment:

An Internet

Glossary

by Lawrence J. Magid

Browser or Web Browser

Software that allows you to access the World

Wide Web. The software, which runs on your

PC or Macintosh, provides the graphical interface between your computer and the Web.

The most popular browser is Netscape Navigator followed by Microsoft Explorer. These

programs can be downloaded for free from the

Internet. Netscape is available from Windows,

Windows 95, UNIX and Macintosh. Microsoft

Explorer is available for Windows, Windows

95 and Macintosh.

Cyb rspace

A term coined by science fiction author William Gibson to describe the whole range of information resources available through computer networks.

Electronic Mail (E-mail)

Messages sent from one computer to another

via a network, online service or the Internet.

It generally takes only seconds for a message

to reach its destination anywhere in the world.

E-mail messages can contain only text or contain programs or data including graphics, word

processing files and even audio and video.

FTP

An acronym for File Transfer Protocol — a

very common method of transferring one or

more files from one computer to another. FTP

is built into most browsers so you don't need

to know complex commands to use it.

Gopher

"Gopher," is a menu driven system that links

you to other Internet sites around the world.

You can access it with special Gopher software

or most Web browsers will also allow you to

access Gopher menus. In some cases, web sites

will automatically link you to gopher sites.

When you access Gopher you get a series of

menus, one of which lets you connect to other

Gophers in Africa, Asia, Europe, North

America and other locations around the world.

HTTP

Anyone who's used the World Wide Web has

seen those web sites that begin with http://.

HTTP is abbreviation for Hyper Text Transfer

Protocol.

Internet

A global network of networks, the Internet
is a system that links computer systems so that

they can exchange various types of data including e-mail, video, audio, data and program

files, World Wide Web pages and more. The

Internet isn't a single computer service. It's a

worldwide network of networks that consists

of thousands of computers located on every

continent. Once you're connected to the

Internet you can "cruise the digital highways"

to other connected machines. You don't have

to pay extra fees or phone charges and, in many

cases, you don't need an account on those other

computers. That's because many libraries,

universities, companies and government agencies allow guests to browse through their data

banks, even if the users don't have an account

on that system. The World Wide Web,

newsgroups, e-mail and FTP are all part of the

Internet.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

A company that provides users with access

to the Internet, usually for a fee. Unlike an

online service, an ISP doesn't necessarily provide additional content but does provide dial

up access and, in most cases, technical support for its users.

Java

Java is a programming language developed

by Sun Microsystems, Inc. to create executable

content (i.e. self-running applications) that can

be easily distributed through networks like the

World Wide Web. Developers use Java to create special programs called "applets" that can

be incorporated in a web page to make it interactive.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A network of computers that is typically located within a company, a department or a

campus. They are not necessarily connected

to computers outside the facility though a LAN

can be connected to other computers via the

Internet.

Microsoft Explorer (see Browser)

Netscape Navigator (see Browser)

Online

The process of "going online." When you connect your computer to another computer, usually via a phone line, it's known as "going

online." The term typically refers to connecting your machine to an online service or the

Internet though it can also be used to refer to

connecting to a local area network.

Online Service or Online Service

Provider

An information service that provides dial up

access as well as proprietary information. Examples include America Online, CompuServe,

Prodigy and the Microsoft Network. Major

online services all provide e-mail, forums

where users can exchange information and

ideas. These days all major online services also

provide access to the Internet including

Internet e-mail and World Wide Web access.

Protocol

A protocol is the standard or set of rules that

two computers use to communicate with each

other. Also known as a communications protocol or network protocol, this is a set of standards that assures that different network products or programs can work together. Any product that uses a given protocol should work with

any other product using the same protocol.

10
Search Engine

A search engine is a type of software that

creates indexes of databases or Internet sites

based on the titles of files, key words, or the

full text of files. The search engine has an interface that allows you to type what you're

looking for into a blank field. It then gives you

a list of the results of the search. When you

use a search engine on the Web, the results

are presented to you in hypertext, which means

you can click on any item in the list to get the

actual file Leading search engines include Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.com), Alta Vista

(http://altavista.digital.com/) and Excite

(http://www.6sxcite.com/). A directory of

popular search engines can be found at http:/

/www.larrysworld.com/searching.html.

URL

An abbreviation for Universal Resource

Locator, it is an addressing scheme. A URL

is just an address. The URL for the Los

Angeles Times, for example, is http://

www.latimes.com.

Web page

A single "page" on a web site. A page may be

longer than a single screen (you may have to

scroll down to read its entire contents). A web

site can consist of multiple pages.

World Wide Web

The part of the Internet that provides access to documents and pages through

"hypertext links." Users can jump from one

document to another by clicking on a link even

if they documents are stored on different computers on the Internet. World Wide Web documents often contain graphics and sometimes

audio, animation or video. They are created

using a language called HTML. Web sites generally have a Home Page which typically links

to other pages on that and other Web sites.

©1996 by Lawrence J. Magid

Reprinted with permission.

Lawrence J. Magid is a syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times and contributing editor of HomePC. His web site, "Larry's

World" ftittp://www.larrysworld.comy) contains numerous articles about computing

and the Internet. His e-mail address is

magid@latimes.com.

11
12
4. Examples of Using

the Internet in

Election Officials

The most popular uses of the Internet, not

only among election officials but the population in general, are electronic mail (e-mail) and

the World Wide Web. Newsgroups (also called

"USENET"), chat rooms and others facets of

the Internet also exist but are not yet widely

used in election administration.

E-Mail

E-mail is lightning fast, informal communication that can be either "one to one" in nature or among a group. Of course it doesn't

matter where the users are: it is just as easy

(and quick) to e-mail to an election office in

Bucharest as it is in Boise — provided, of

course, that you have the correct e-mail address.

For example, in preparing this publication

I surveyed State and some local election offices. Some of this surveying was done by email, as was much of the follow-up. What I like

about e-mail is its ease, speed and informality: I can type a message on my personal computer, send it using my e-mail software and

modem, and have it available to the recipient's

computer screen within a moment or two. The

response can come back to me with similar

speed, all recorded in a file on my computer

for future reference. No paper, no faxing, no

telephone messages, no envelopes or stamps.

Your constituents can send you comments

and questions via the Internet. When the Indiana State Election Board first added e-mail

capability to its site on the World Wide Web,

the first e-mail message came from a disabled

voter in search of help. She complained that

her polling place claimed to be accessible to

disabled voters - in spite of the presence of

stairs. Her battles with precinct officials went

nowhere. Could the State help? Sure, a telephone call or letter may have accomplished the

same thing. But to this voter, e-mail was more

accessible and an easy way to get her message

across. Many State and local election agencies

have e-mail capability and invite the public to

contact them this way.

Group E-Mail: Listserv

In addition to e-mail with agency constituents, election officials also find great value in

communicating with one another. The one-onone communication afforded by e-mail is a

great tool, but perhaps even better is the ability to communicate with groups of people.

"Mailing lists" and "listservs" are e-mail devices that allow a user to send one e-mail message and have it automatically delivered to all

13
others who subscribe to that particular list.

Several lists have been established pertaining

to election administration (see appendix for

more details).

The beauty is that as more and

more election offices connect to the

Internet and learn of these resources, the richer and more useful the discussions will be.

An example of such a list is one designed

and used exclusively by State election officials.

Communications on that list during a onemonth period several years ago is instructive.

When a controversy arose in one State concerning fictitious voter registrations, the State

election director inquired through the listserv

about procedures in other States and received

quick e-mail responses. An official in another

State was able to conduct some quick research

on ballot access procedures in other jurisdictions. Yet another State official picked the

brains of her colleagues on the use of social

security numbers on voter registration forms.

NVEA list maintenance procedures was a topic

raised by another State office.

People who have used these Internet discussions know what a tremendous resource

they are. The beauty is that as more and more

election offices connect to the Internet and

learn of these resources, the richer and more

useful the discussions will be. We are starting

to see more specialized discussion lists established. For example, one county official recently began organizing a list of election offices that use a particular type of voting system. This will allow information sharing on

system problems, solutions, spare parts, etc.

The Web

E-mail and related tools are but one dimension of the Internet of value to election officials. Another one is the World Wide Web, often referred to just as "the Web." It is the Web

that has captured the attention and imagination of millions of people in the last few years.

While e-mail is "sent" from one person to another, the Web allows a user to "visit" a Web

site (via computer, of course). Once there, the

visitor can view text, graphics, documents or

data files made available by the "host."

For example, the Federal Election Commission hosts a Web site that offers a variety of

publications, campaign finance and other information. To visit the site, an Internet user

utilizes software called a "browser" or "Web

Browser" (see Chapter 3). The "address" of the

FEC site (http://www.fec.gov) is typed in and

your browser connects via the Internet with a

computer that the FEC uses as a "Web server."

On your computer screen you will see the

FEC's "home page" (see graphic #1), which offers a menu of options. Want to see what the

FEC offers concerning election administration?

Point and click on that option (underlined

words "link" you to another screen, taking you

to that page when "clicked on").

14
Is it Case Sensitive?

Have you ever typed a URL (Web address) into your Web browser, knowing that you

typed every letter and symbol correctly and still couldn't get connected to your target

page? The answer may lie in capitalization. Some of us who learned that e-mail

addresses were not case sensitive naturally assumed the same is true of Web addresses.

Wrong. URL's (or parts of them) are case sensitive.

A Web page might contain links to pages

hosted by another organization. For example,

the Web site for a State election office might

provide links to local election offices or to the

FEC. Thus a Web user can quickly view information from Web sites around the globe. This

facet of the Internet is literally a web of information obtained by connecting with computers around the world.

Most State election offices and a rapidly

growing number of local offices have Web sites.

offering a wealth of information to their constituents and colleagues. The content offered

by these sites differs, but generally includes

information on voter registration and elections;

how, when and where to vote; publications, and

other commonly requested data. Specific information on content can be found later in this

publication, especially in Chapters 9-11. Also

note that the appendix includes a "Directory

of Election Agency Web Sites.

World Wide Web Addresses vs. E-mail Address

Many people confuse these two types of Internet addresses. An e-mail address is where an

e-mail message is sent to or originates from. It always contains the "at" sign: @.

For example at the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Bill Kimberling's e-mail address is

<bkimberling@fec.gov> (the brackets are not actually used in addressing e-mail).

The FEC has a site on the World Wide Web. Its address is <http://www.fec.gov>. A Web

address (also called a "URL" for Universal Resource Locator) always begins with "http" or

contains "www."

Thus, if you wish to visit the FEC Web site, you would point your Web "browser" to <http://

www.fec.gov>. But it you want to send a message to Bill, you would address it to

bkimberling@fec.gov.

15
16
5. Why You Should

Be on the Internet

Having Internet access in your office is like

having three staff assistants: one (e-mail) provides you with powerful communication tools

allowing you to reach colleagues, vendors, constituents, and others quickly. You can reach

them individually or en masse. Another (Web

browsing) allows you access to the Web, providing you with the equivalent of several

Libraries of Congress. With this, you can

research practically anything, from election

statutes and procedures in a neighboring State

to recommended restaurants in the city where

your next election conference is going to be

held. The third assistant (Web serving) provides your information, procedures and forms

to the world at-large. That Marine who lives

The information you want on our

Web site. You can get it yourself."

down the street from you, but is stationed in

central Asia, can obtain an absentee ballot

application in a moment from this "assistant."

The students who want to learn about the election process can do so through this "assistant."

Reporters and citizens who want minutes of

your last Election Board meeting can get them

quickly and easily as well.

When I first developed a Web site in 1995

for the election agency I directed, I was motivated primarily by a desire to experiment in

offering information this way. Developing the

Web site was easy and free, thanks to State

government resources. The State's information

services department handled the actual programming work and provided the server. All

I had to do was initiate the request and work

with the Web programmer on content.

What I did not anticipate then was how

much time this was going to save the agency.

Shortly after the Web site made its debut, it

occurred to us that some of the common calls

the agency received for information, including

those that came from vendors, news organizations and others requesting faxed information,

could be best answered by saying, "Its on our

Web site. You can get it yourself." Many of those

callers had Web access and much preferred

receiving the information that way. For in most

cases, the recipient of that information was

going to load the data on his or her own computer. By "downloading" it from our Web site,

they were getting it already in a digital (computerized) format. Had they received it on paper or by fax, someone would likely have had

to retype it.

17
It was a "win-win" situation. The caller

could get what he or she wanted - in the format they wanted it. Our agency staff did not

have to collect, copy and fax the information

to the caller.

In 1995, callers were impressed with that.

In 1997, after several years of phenomenal

growth in Internet use, they are growing to

expect that kind of customer service. Sooner

or later, you may be required to offer information in this manner.

If your agency's mission includes making

disclosure information available to the public

- such as campaign finance or ethics reports -

you should pay particular attention. Use of the

World Wide Web for making this information

available to the public makes such good sense,

that it will surely be required someday. But

don't wait until that happens. As a service to

your public, as well as to your own staff, begin

the process now of becoming knowledgeable of

the Internet and how you can use this tool (see

chapter 9 for more on disclosure).

The computer divisions (often called "information service division" or "MIS") of many

State and local governments now offer Internet

access and/or Web hosting services for governmental departments. If your's is doing so, take

advantage of it. If it is not, tell them they

should - and then look at options for getting

those services from other sources (see Chapter 14).

18
6. Getting

Connected:

What You Need

If you have a computer, then you already

have the only "significant" piece of equipment

that you need for an Internet connection. Additional cost will be fairly minimal - and perhaps non-existent. Many computers that are

sold today already include the "extras" needed

for the Internet: a modem and an appropriate

software program. In addition, you will need

an account with an Internet service provider.

Even that may be available to you in a preloaded program on your computer - if you

choose to use an online service for Internet

access. But don't make that decision too

quickly. You may have more options than you

realize.

Hardware

If, in this publication about the Internet, you

look at the word "hardware" and think of

things like screws, tools and plumbing fixtures

- then you may actually be as antiquated as

you fear. But fear not; we'll help you out of your

cave. "Hardware" is computer talk for computers and related equipment like monitors

(screens) and printers - things you can touch.

You probably already have one or more computers in your agency. Most administrators

view them as basic, essential equipment in any

office, especially one that tracks thousands of

registered voters, multiple polling places,

many disclosure reports and the like. If you

are still resisting using computers for these

functions, then you may need counseling- but

that is a different topic.

Are you still resisting computers?

The real question for you is likely to be

whether your computers have the "horsepower" to drive on the information highway.

The answer may depend on which "lane" you

plan to cruise. Using e-mail can be a fairly

simple function, meaning that you do not necessarily need sophisticated software programs.

"Surfing" the Web, however, draws rich graphics onto your screen - and requires more computer power (memory) to run the software programs.

So what do you need? For PC users (cave

dwellers may substitute the term "IBM compatible" for "PC") you should have at least a

"486" computer. If you purchased your PC new

since 1995 or so, chances are you have a 486.

The 386 PC's that preceded these are ready

for the museum. If you are still using a 286 -

well, you need to discuss this with your counselor.

19
Mac users tend not to talk in terms of 86's,

but keep in mind the same time frame as

above. If you bought your hardware (see how

much you've learned already?) new since 1995,

then you might have enough power.

Another way of looking at it is the colors on

your monitor. If you have a black and white

screen on your computer, chances are it is time

for a new one. If you are still seeing only green,

then drop the equipment off at the museum.

"But this eight year old computer works just

fine," said a colleague of mine. "There has

never been a problem with it," she continued.

That may be true. But it is irrelevant. Some

Model T automobiles also work fine, but you

wouldn't want to drive one on a crowded

Interstate. The same is true on the information highway. The power you need to get where

you want to go cannot be provided on the "old"

equipment. What is making computer hardware obsolete today is not unreliability, it is

rapidly progressing sophistication.

There are other specifications to look for in

hardware: memory and size of the hard drive

are two key ones. Most experts at the moment

say 8MB (megabytes) of RAM memory is a bare

minimum. Before long, it may be inadequate.

32MB of RAM is no longer uncommon on new

PC's. The storage capacity of the computer is

also important. Like everything else with computers, more is better.

As of late 1996, most election officials using

the Internet reported that they are using various types of PC's, mostly 486's.

Software

If hardware is the "body" - then software is

the "soul," the intelligence that tells the body

what it is supposed to be and do. Hardware

without software is plastic and glass.

Software can instruct your computer to be

a voter registration management system. Or

it can tell it to be a budget management tool -

or a solitaire dealer. Software can also instruct

your computer to connect to another computer

in a different part of the globe and send information to it — or bring information back from

it.

There are several basic types of software

used for Internet access, one package for email, another for Web browsing. Some people

use software that will do both. Talk with your

Internet service provider (see below) about

software if you don't already have some - or if

you don't like what you have. Basic Web browsing and e-mail software is available for free.

More sophisticated software can be purchased.

One reason to speak with your Internet service provider first is that they may provide you

with all the software you need as part of their

service.

Research for this publication indicates that

as of early 1997, most election agencies were

using a wide variety of software for e-mail, including Eudora, ccrmail, Groupwise. Netscape

was the most popular Web browsing software,

although a Microsoft Explorer was used by a

significant minority.

Modems & Direct Connections

A modem is a small but mighty device that

connects to your computer. In many cases, it

appears to be nothing more than a small circuit board inside the computer; it may also be

a small box outside the computer. In either

case, it provides a means for plugging a phone

line into your computer, thus enabling it to

send and receive information from "out there."

For most people, "out there" means the

Internet or an "on-line service" such as American Online, Prodigy or CompuServe - but it

20
can also include direct connections with other

computers or electronic bulletin board systems.

Most computers sold for home use now include

modems. Because government computer use

tends to be more specialized, government purchasing programs may offer modems as an

add-on feature.

Many State and local governments, however, now have in place an internal communications backbone for computer connections in

agencies and departments. This provides a

direct connection from your office computer

network (or perhaps an individual computer

in your office) to the government's wider network. Such setups may provide several services:

• They allow agencies to communicate with

one another by computer, including the

sending of files and "documents" back and

forth,

• They may provide an "intranet," which is

like an in-house Web, and

• Perhaps best of all, they provide an

Internet gateway, allowing the computer

sitting on your desk instant (and constant)

access to e-mail, the World Wide Web, and

other facets of "the Net."

This direct connection to the government's

communications backbone means that a modem is unnecessary, although other equipment

(such as connectors and hubs) may be required

instead. If your government offers this infrastructure, as many do, it will probably offer

the expertise you need to connect with it.

Whether it provides the funds to do so is another question. It is an excellent service to have

available to your agency. This type of connection to the Internet is the "cream" of the access crop. Not only does it provide significantly

faster service, but its presence at all times

means that e-mail comes directly to you. With

dial-up service, you receive e-mail only when

you dial in and connect with your mail box.

I am no fan of "dial-up" access (using a modem to have your computer "dial" the phone

number and connect to another computer). For

me, this is the weakest link in the Internet

chain. Even the best dial-up Internet service

providers occasionally have jammed phone

lines. I suspect the day will come when even

home users will have a better way of connecting to the Internet, perhaps through cable TV

systems or satellites. I look forward to that day.

However, until it comes, dial-up Internet access is something that is available and inexpensive for most of us. It is a step down (or

more accurately, several floors down) from direct Internet access. If you can connect directly

in a cost-effective manner, then jump at the

opportunity.

Internet Service Providers

An Internet service provider (ISP) is to your

computer what the telephone company is to

your telephone. It is responsible for assuring

that the Internet is available to your computer

through the appropriate cable - whether that

is a phone line for dial-up service or a direct

connection.

Internet service providers come in a variety of types. For most State and local election

offices, their government computer services department functions as an in-house ISP, usually by providing a direct connection.

Not all local governments provide Internet

service to their agencies. Some that do, charge

more than some election offices care to (or can)

pay. The likeliest alternatives are either private ISP's or online services. Internet service

providers may be either local, regional or

21
national in scope. For a fee ($20/month is

common at the moment), the ISP typically

provides you with Internet software, an e-mail

address, and Internet access for your computer

through a phone number it provides.

Online services operate much the same way.

Most of these services, including America

Online and Prodigy, began as closed information systems for members to dial into. As the

Internet grew in popularity earlier in the '90's,

the online services began offering an Internet

gateway, providing subscribers with Web

access and Internet e-mail. These services still

offer proprietary information as well as

Internet access. Some election agencies subscribe to an online service, using it as an ISP.

"So I'm connected. Now what

do I do?"

For the novice, I suggest exploring both

e-mail and the Web. Send a few e-mails to

associates who are online to get a feel for how

your e-mail software works. Not sure who to

contact? Check the E-Mail Directory in the

appendix of this publication for names and

e-mail addresses of election officials and consultants. Most State election offices are connected, so you might send an e-mail to the election director in your State to let him or her

know that you have an e-mail address. Feel

free to contact me, if you like (maidenberg

@iquest.net).

You will want to explore the wonders of the

Web as well, by activating your Web browser

while you are connected to the Internet. Most

election officials use Netscape Navigator or

Microsoft Explorer, but other browsers exist

as well. Where should you go on the Web?

There is no limit. Check out some of the Web

sites of your colleagues that are listed in the

Web Directory in the appendix. And while

doing so, note that many of these Web sites

will offer additional links that easily take you

elsewhere.

Another thing for a beginner is to do is

begin using the Internet as a resource. It offers much help on use of the Net itself (and

everything else for that matter). Take a look

at Chapter 14 ("Where To Go For Help"). It

includes tips on how to learn about the Internet

from the Web. One way of doing so is by

e-mailing with colleagues, most of whom would

be happy to offer advice or assistance.

Subscribing to an e-mail list (listserv) is another way to plug into the resources of the

Internet. Information on these e-mail groups

that may be pertinent to you and your agency

can be found in the appendix. Explore! Enjoy!

And ask for help if you get stuck.

22
Part II:

Developing A

Web Site
24
7. Obtaining a

Web Host

While Part I discussed issues concerning basic Internet use: getting connected, sending

and receiving e-mail, and browsing (viewing)

the World Wide Web, the sections in Part II of

this publication will discuss issues related to

hosting a site on the Web. "Hosting a site,"

means having your own Web site so that your

constituents and others interested may browse

the information that your office makes available on the Web.

"... even an election office that

lacks its own Internet connection

(or its own computer, for that

matter) is still able to have its

own site on the Web. n

Because hosting is more specialized than

connecting, many organizations with Web sites

use an experienced provider to build and place

information on the Web. Thus, even an election office that lacks its own Internet connection (or its own computer, for that matter) is

still able to have its own site on the Web - by

making information available to the

"Webmaster," or the entity whose Web server

is feeding that data to the Internet. This is true

in my own agency at the moment (see "Diary

of Connecting an Agency" in the appendix).

While one sister agency helped us connect to

the Internet, another agency established a Web

site for us. This is true in most organizations:

the tasks of getting connected to the Internet

and providing a Web site are independent of

one another.

Once you've decided to have a Web site (you

are thinking about it, aren't you?), the next

question is who will host it for you. Your choice

will likely be one of the following.

State or County Government

Many State and local governments have

developed in-house Web services, centralizing

their Web hosting into a single office (usually

the computer services department absorbs the

task). Having this service available makes the

decision of a Web service provider easy for election agencies. Of those surveyed for this publication, almost 80% of those with Web sites,

obtained their Web service from a sister agency.

This held true regardless of whether the

agency was a State or local one, although State

offices were more likely to have in-house Web

servers (about 13%). Many such agencies that

received Web services from the computer division of their government, received them at

little or no cost to the election office. Choosing

25
a Web service provider is easy when this is

an option.

Private Internet

Service Provider

Virtually all Internet service providers also

provide Web site development and hosting.

These will cost, probably for up-front development as well as monthly charges for space on

the ISP's Web server.

State Election Office

The Election Division of the Florida Secretary of State's office provides a Web site for

each county election office. In addition, some

of those counties maintain an independent site.

Perhaps a similar arrangement could be made

in your State.

Do it Yourself

Some State and local election offices maintain their own Web server and handle all Web

authoring in-house. To do this correctly requires having certain equipment and skills on

one's staff, and a high level of confidence that

these will be maintained over time. As one

would expect, it is only the larger election offices that are able to do this. Some larger offices that have this capability prefer not to,

focusing their resources in other areas.

If your government executives do not yet

provide Web services to member agencies, consider lobbying them for it. Another alternative

is to join with sister agencies and seeking combined Web services from private ISP's or from

educational institutions. The latter, either high

schools or colleges, may be a source of inexpensive (or free?) Web service, in exchange for

your allowing them to use the provision of

these services as an educational tool for

students.

Once you know how your proposed Web site

will be provided, you can focus on issues such

as content, development and maintenance.

These, among others, are discussed in the next

section.

26
8. Creating an

Election Agency

Web Site

by Edward P. Packard

Note: This chapter discusses considerations in

creating your own agency Web site. A few portions get a bit "technical" as it includes issues

for those agencies that wish to create Web documents in-house. Since most agencies will likely

NOT do in-house Web formatting and defer

such tasks to the Web service provider, one need

not fear anything in this chapter that appears

alien.

Many election offices have staked territory

on the World Wide Web and are finding that

the Internet is a useful tool for disseminating

information the public. However, as with any

project, preparing a Web page is much more

than just wishing it to be. The quality - and

utility,- will generally reflect the amount of

time, effort, and thought invested in creating

the web site. The purpose of this chapter is to

outline some key considerations that an election office should address when planning its

initial web site.

In its simplest form, the World

Wide Web is a publishing medium,

an electronic piece of paper.

These considerations fall into seven broad

categories. The order of these considerations

does not necessarily reflect any particular order of importance:

• Technical support

• Content.

• Presentation

• Navigation.

• Graphics.

• Updating.

• Future planning

Technical support

When considering the construction of an

agency web site, the election office should assess what resources are available for building

the web site.

Hosting: Staff needs to identify who will

provide the Web service, as discussed in the

previous chapter. In most cases, the Web server

will be available to State and local election offices through their respective data/information

processing agencies.

Authoring: The agency should identify who

will be responsible for creating (formatting, not

"authoring" in the conventional sense) the web

pages and ensure that individual has the ap27
propriate resources at his or her disposal.

Thus, the "author" is more of a "word processor" for the web page, translating it using certain formatting conventions to text and graphics that will govern the appearance of a web

page on a browser.

HTML (hypertext markup language) is the

basic building block of the World Wide Web

and is used for those web pages primarily intended to disseminate general information.

HTML is a system of instructions that tell Web

browsers how to treat text and graphics included on the web page. Many resources are

available to assist the author in constructing

the agency's page. Reference guides are readily

available and computer software can usually

convert your regular computer documents to

an HTML format that can be placed on the

Web. HTML is a very accessible language.

More importantly, your MIS department or

Web service provider can either help your staff

do this - or often do it for you.

Content

In its simplest form, the World Wide Web is

a publishing medium, an electronic piece of

paper. Just as an agency determines what

information it will provide on printed paper

(outside of statutory mandates), so too must it

decide what will be included on its Web site.

Anything provided on paper can be provided

electronically through the World Wide Web.

Therefore, many election offices use their current publications as a benchmark for identifying items to be included on the web page:

• procedures for registering to vote,

• elections calendar, including dates of elections and close of registration books,

• the address and phone number of the elections office, including the phone numbers

for departments or divisions within the

office and staff, and

• elections results.

Many offices are limited in what they may

publish on paper due to the costs associated

with traditional printing. The World Wide Web

presents new possibilities with respect to the

amount of information that can be made available to the public. Generally, an election office may consider publishing more and more

varied information due to the convenience and

lower publishing costs of the electronic format.

Keep in mind, however, three issues when

creating electronic documents. First, electronic publishing does have its own costs. Preparing a document for the World Wide Web

requires staff time just like traditional printing. Additional time is sometimes required for

conversion HTML. Also, depending on one's

arrangement with the Web service provider,

the agency may be charged a fee for placing

documents on the web server.

The second consideration involves determining what information is of reasonable value to

the public and thus worthy of publication on a

Web page. While election results and voter

outreach materials are clearly examples of

important information to be included on an

agency's web site, other materials may address

such narrow interests that the information

should not be included.

As a side issue, when determining Web page

content the agency should carefully weigh the

benefits of duplicating information already

available on the web. Unless there is a specific goal to be achieved by doing so, there is

no reason to reinvent the wheel. One of the

most powerful aspects of the World Wide Web

is the ability to link to other pages or web sites

so that the reader can readily access information from a wide variety of sources on the

28
Internet. For example, a local election office

may not wish to place on its own web pages

the addresses for other local election offices if

the State election office has already constructed a page achieving the same goal. The

local office can provide a link to the State

office's page, thus providing the same information to the reader without duplicating the

effort.

One of the most powerful aspects

of the World Wide Web is the

ability to link to other pages or

web sites so that the reader can

readily access information from a

wide variety of sources

Finally, election officials should not bite off

more than they can chew when preparing a

Web page. Be careful about advertising what

information is available if all the documents

are not yet completed. Although experienced

users of the Web are used to encountering sites

that are "under construction," they can become

frustrated, annoyed, or just disappointed with

sites that promise a lot but take a long time to

deliver. Depending on the level of frustration,

annoyance, or disappointment, the users may

dismiss such sites as not being useful, never

(or rarely) to return.

Pr sentation

As with any publishing effort, the style - or

appearance - of the Web site can be just as

important as its substance. Users of the Web

often make remarks about the way a page looks

and are generally more satisfied with those

pages that provide information in an organized, eye-catching manner. Therefore, as

much thought should be directed to the way

information is arranged on the web page as

would be given to the design of a brochure, letter, or other document printed on paper.

Present information in a logical, coherent

order. Haphazard layout of information, or the

lack of organization at all, tends to serve as a

disincentive for reading web pages. Users of

Web sites tend to quickly browse Web pages to

see if the information they are seeking is available. If they must first decipher the page, they

are more likely to find the web site of less value

than others - and move on.

A key factor in determining layout and presentation is the amount of information that

should be included on any one Web page. A

good rule of thumb is that the opening page of

a Web site (called the index or home page)

should serve as a general index or table of contents of what is available on the site. The site

should then be layered with additional pages

that move from the more general to the most

specific. You will notice this tendency yourself,

as you browse the Web.

Layering of pages in this manner serves

several purposes. It helps present information in a coherent manner so that the user can

determine what is available on the site. Second, it permits the user to jump immediately

to the information that he or she is looking

for, rather than having to "scroll" through other

data until reaching the desired text. Lastly, it

facilitates the transfer of information from the

Web server to the user's personal computer by

"chunking" data. By breaking the information

into chunks on separate pages, the user accesses smaller files on an incremental basis

until he finds the desired information. The

"chunking" method makes more efficient use

of the Web server's and the Internet's resources, as well as the time of the user.

29
Navigation

Related to the issue of presentation is navigation. The object is to adopt a style of presentation that empowers the user to select that

information that is useful to him or her. In

addition to convenient layout, this task requires efficient use of navigational tools that

permit the user to move efficiently through the

pages on the web site.

To the greatest extent possible, Web pages

should not require the reader to constantly

scroll up and down through text on the screen

to find information. "Hotlinks" can be placed

strategically throughout the pages to allow the

user to navigate quickly (e.g., back to the top

of the page or to an index or table of contents).

Watch for such navigational tools on other Web

sites that you visit.

Graphics

To this point, the discussion has assumed

that the Web pages contain straight text that

has been formatted for a particular style of

presentation. However, the World Wide Web

and most browsers provide for graphics and

images. Most Web pages now incorporate various types of graphics for a variety of purposes.

Photos and drawings provide useful illustrations or supporting documentation. Charts

give graphic representation to data. And in

many cases, graphics provide an aesthetic element that makes the site more pleasing.

However, graphics also serve an additional

purpose on Web pages; they can be used as

navigational tools. Clicking on "icons," such

as arrows or buttons, or on sections of a map

can move the user through the web site.

While graphics can add an intriguing or

pleasing visual element to a Web page, the

author should make careful and measured use

of them for several reasons. Larger graphics

take more time to retrieve from the Web server,

thus delaying the user's access to the page.

This concern is especially true for users of dialup services with slower modems.

Second, some Web browsers do not support

graphics; they are text based only. Users with

these types of browsers will find themselves

at a disadvantage if a web site relies heavily

on graphics or images to relate important information. Also, most browsers allow the user

to turn off the graphics and read the pages

solely as text to shorten the length of time it

takes to fully load a web page.

The World Wide Web, and the

Internet as a whole, is revolutionizing the way information is

presented to the public

Some very simple alternatives are available

so that an agency may provide Web pages that

are equally accessible to all users while not

relinquishing the use of graphics. The office

may provide two versions of their Web site, one

that is text only and one with graphics. However, this does take some additional time to

construct the two sets of parallel pages. The

second option is to utilize a more recent feature of that permits the Web author to designate text that should be displayed in a browser

if graphics are not supported or not desired.

Election offices need not preclude themselves from the use of graphics and images to

jazz up their web sites. However, they should

consider the aforementioned concerns regarding the impact of graphics-laden pages on the

ability of all users to access data on the site.

Pages should be designed so that all users can

access available information, not just those

individuals with the most current personal

computer technology.

30
Updating

Some election offices may choose to place

information on their Web site that is static and

not time-sensitive. However, most will prefer

to provide a mixture of static information (e.g.,

office address and phone number; historical

statistics on turnout or elections results) and

customized information, such as upcoming

elections dates, lists of candidates for the current election, and specific deadlines for registering to vote.

Those offices going beyond static information should be diligent about maintaining their

site on a timely basis. Time-sensitive information should be updated regularly. Accuracy of

information is imperative in the election field,

as you well know! Your Web site will be a reflection of your agency.

Future Planning

A final consideration when constructing a

Web site is the future. The World Wide Web is

still in its infancy. Although the number of

users grows each day, most jurisdictions, especially at the local level, lack a population

that is significantly connected to the Internet

and thus the Web. These jurisdictions would

be justified if they questioned to what degree

resources should be invested in building Web

sites at this point.

Although this concern is admittedly valid,

jurisdictions should keep in mind that the

World Wide Web, and the Internet as a whole,

is revolutionizing the way information is presented to the public. The web and the Internet

are rapidly becoming integral information resources accessible not only by the general public in their homes but also by schools, colleges,

and libraries. These locations, as well as the

construction of "freenets" are making Internet

access a way of life for conducting business not

only with the private sector but also the public sector. Election offices are no exception.

This demand can be expected to only grow as

computers permeate society in much the same

way as radio and television.

During this time that the demand for election-related information is relatively low compared to other uses of the Web and the

Internet, elections official have a prime opportunity to begin the construction of sites and

enhance them as time and resources allow.

They have the opportunity to build a solid presence on the Internet and the World Wide Web

so that they will be prepared when the Internet

boom brings more patrons to their electronic

door.

State and local election offices that have

already created a Web presence are discovering that if you build the site, people will come.

And they will look to the election offices to provide more and more information in varying

degrees of detail to fulfill their curiosity and

thirst for electoral knowledge.

Election offices should be as proactive as

resources permit to address this technological

revolution and reap the benefits that a Web

presence can provide.

Ed Packard serves as the Administrator for the

National Voter Registration Act in the Elections

Division of Alabama's Office of the Secretary

of State. He is also the creator of the ELECnet

Internet resources for elections administrators:

the ELECnet web site (http://www.iupui.edu/

~epackard/eleclink.html) and the ELECnet

electronic mailing list. You can reach him at

<epackard@champion.iupui.edu>.

31
32
9. Providing

Disclosure

on the Web

No area of election administration is better

suited for Internet technology than campaign

finance and disclosure administration. Many

election officials have made great strides in

using the Internet for disclosure and other

areas of election administration. But it is on

disclosure that people from outside our field -

lawmakers, public interest groups and editorial writers - have begun to focus in a way that

has already begun to fundamentally reshape

the way campaign finance, ethics, and similar

disclosures are administered.

This is important, so let me say it a different way. If disclosure administration is included in the mission of your agency, take note

and prepare now for a public demand (or legislative mandate) to provide such information

to the public via the Internet. Better yet, do so

because it is wonderful service to provide to

your constituents. The era of providing disclosure from paper documents located in filing

cabinets to people who trudge to your office at

the Government Center is rapidly drawing to

a close.

There are entire publications devoted to this

topic; they provide much more detail than does

this chapter (see the resources listed at the end

of this chapter). In this chapter I will discuss

the dynamic that is underway, and where that

is likely to take us. Your being aware of these

trends can assist your office leading the way,

rather than being pushed by constituents - or

dragged by a mandate.

Your being aware of these trends

can assist your office in leading

the way, rather than being pushed

by constituents - or dragged by a

mandate.

As election officials build Web sites offering

information to their public, they must ask

themselves what data is it they have that the

public wants. For those of us with disclosure

responsibilities, the answer almost always includes the details being disclosed, including

campaign contributions. By placing such information on the agency's Web site, constituents, journalists, and others interested in these

reports can view such data via their personal

computer at any time, day or night. This is a

tremendous convenience and is a compelling

reason on its own to make the information

available. But it is not the only reason.

Information offered through a Web site is,

by its very nature, computerized data. This

33
means that academics, journalists and other

constituents who wish to study the data can

do so with relative ease. Analyzing political

contributions or expenditures is difficult, if not

impossible, to do adequately without loading

data into a computer. But the system we election officials have traditionally fostered, together with lawmakers, has made that difficult. For a constituent to study campaign reports, one would have to find time to get to the

election office (during business hours, of

course), locate the needed reports, and copy

them. This alone can be time consuming and

costly, especially if the person must travel some

distance to the government center. Even then,

the person must still enter the data into his or

her computer before analysis can begin.

But when the election office converts the

campaign finance reports from paper to a computerized format, and places the information

on its Web site, it saves these constituents

untold hours of labor - and enables the analysis to begin almost immediately. It is a huge

public service - and it is exactly why we are

there.

It is logical - and inevitable - that

we ask (or require) those filing

their disclosure reports in our

offices to do so electronically.

For some offices, however, it can also be an

insurmountable job. For State election offices

or others that receive voluminous campaign

finance filings, entering each individual contribution may be impossible - certainly without the ability to hire or contract out data-entry services to convert the paper filings into

computerized data. This can be very expensive.

But wait a minute. Almost 100% of the committees that produce these voluminous reports

use computers to manage their finances and

produce their reports in the first place. This

irony has not escaped observers: that political

committees use computers to produce campaign finance reports on paper which they file

with election offices - whose constituents

would really rather have the data available in

a digital (computerized) format. Some of these

election offices then spend time and money to

reconvert the paper filings back into a computerized format to make them available to

the public on the Internet. The Federal Election Commission does this. The conversion

process, in addition to being costly, takes time.

In many cases the election office's conversion

of the reports is not be available for Internet

disclosure until after an election comes and

goes.

Electronic Filing

This is one of several reasons why as logical as it is to use the Internet to make information available to our public, so too is it logical - and inevitable - that we ask (or require)

those filing their disclosure reports in our offices to do so digitally (electronically). Electronic filing means that instead of (or in addition to) receiving these reports on paper, we

receive them as a computer file, delivered to

us either on a diskette or through the Internet.

When this process is enabled, the election

office need not spend the time and money to

convert paper to digits. Instead of a lag time

of months, it may be only hours until the election office makes the electronically filed report

available over the Internet.

There are a numbr of questions that must

be dealt with in electronic filing. Should electronic filing be voluntary or mandatory - or

perhaps mandatory above a certain threshold

of committee activity? In what format should

electronic filings be? How are electronic reports

34
certified or signed by their treasurers? How

are archival requirements dealt with for electronic records?

These are a few of the many important questions. They may seem daunting, however, a

rapidly growing number of jurisdictions (local

as well as State) are working through these

issues as they develop and institute modern

disclosure processes. You can learn more about

these efforts through the resources listed at

the end of this chapter. In addition, some laws

or proposed laws are included in appendix.

Some of these directly impact issues raised by

high-tech disclosure.

Internet disclosure is a bit more

access than some had in mind. It

is the inevitability of Internet

disclosure that will ultimately

break through such reluctance.

An issue that is perhaps a bit more difficult

with which to deal is the reluctance that some

lawmakers may feel about these new processes. Internet disclosure is a bit more access

that some had in mind. It is the inevitability

of Internet disclosure that will ultimately

break through any such reluctance. For if disclosure agencies are unable or unwilling to

provide this service, others will. The news

media, not-for-profit organizations and advocacy groups are already doing so in some

places. It does not take a public law to place

public information into the hands of the public via the Internet. It is going to happen.

The computerization process that enables

Internet disclosure has an additional benefit

as well. When these disclosure reports are in

a digital format, they can be more easily audited by the agency. Certain types of audits

can only be done with computerization. Checking to see if contribution limits have been exceeded may require auditing multiple reports.

As an example, Indiana law limits the amount

of money that corporations and labor organizations (aside from PACs) can contribute in a

given year. A corporation or union can contribute no more that $2000 among all legislative

candidates in a given year, and no more than

$5000 total to candidates for Statewide office.

If the "ABC Corporation" contributes $500

each to more than 4 legislative candidates in

the same year, they are in violation of State

election law. But in a paper-based system, the

violation will be invisible to State auditors.

Only when reports for those candidates are

analyzed together, will it become apparent that

contribution limits were exceeded. Computerization enables this.

The Future of Disclosure

State and local officials with disclosure administration responsibilities have already begun seeing the transformation of the disclosure process. The two-faces of this process,

Internet disclosure and electronic filing, are

showing up in jurisdictions of all sizes throughout the nation. It is a trend that can only grow.

Election officials should arm themselves with

knowledge of these processes and prepare for

their arrival.

35
Advice from the "Guru" of Internet Disclosure

by Tony Raymond

Here are four guidelines for disclosing campaign finance data on the World Wide Web:

1) keep the interface simple, 2) assume the users have little or no campaign finance

background, 3) assume that the users have a slow connection to the Internet,

and 4) use the feedback you receive.

Although campaign finance laws are complicated, there isn't any reason that the disclosure

of campaign contributions should be. Simplicity means no more than three 'mouse clicks' to

the data. More than that and users become frustrated and lose interest.

Another aspect of simplicity in data disclosure design is 'key word' searches that lead to

information quickly. For example, being able to type in part of a candidate's name to produce a list of potential candidates a user is looking for eliminates the need for the user to

know more about a candidate than his/her last name (though having the ability to locate the

candidate's data with other information, such as, district or state, is also essential).

When a user comes to a campaign finance web site, you need to assume that they have

little or no background in the field. The goal is to minimize the jargon. Explaining the difference between heavily 'lawyered' concepts is difficult, but needs to be explained in anecdotal

pieces. References to 'line numbers' on forms should be avoided at all costs.

The third rule—designing a site where slow connections will work—is something all site

developers should attempt to do. Heavy graphics, notorious for slow-loading pages, aren't

necessary for sites offering substantive, source data. If the web pages are more than

30k bytes, they're too big.

Finally, your users are your best source for new ideas. Although some of the needs users

describe may sound peculiar, often they are the needs of dozens or hundreds of other

users. Incorporating suggestions from users makes a site responsive to its users—something they expect.

Tony Raymond has a national reputation for taking cumbersome campaign finance data

bases and transforming them into easy to navigate, Web-based tools. He worked at the

Federal Election Commission from 1978 through 1996. Since he left in 1996, Tony has

consulted for the FEC. He's now webmaster of the non-partisan Center for Responsive

Politics in Washington, DC. He is also author of the Web site "FEC Info" which can be found

at: <http://www.tray.com/fecinfo>.

36
Advice from a User

By Ed Feigenbaum

Here is what 1 like in a campaign finance Web site:

• A compact and contiguous site, which sacrifices fancy graphics to get you the

menus in one screen or close to just one screen.

• Every conceivable search option that you might want - the site should do the

thinking, not the user.

• Ways to cross-tab data (all donors of "x" amount or greater who also gave to "y"

candidates after "z" date).

• The ability to look at one particular race with just one command, so I can see both

what the winner and loser did in all categories, linked by hypertext to other things.

• The ability to download files without having technical knowledge, or needing yet

another piece of software to clog a hard disk.

• Accurate information that is updated frequently.

• The ability to get things in list or ranked form (e.g., top 100 soft money donors in

Indiana).

Ed Feigenbaum is an attorney who publishes public policy newsletters. He is an election law

consultant and is co-author of the Federal Election Commission's Campaign Finance Law

series.
Resources for Internet Disclosure and Electronic Filing

Campaign Money on the Information Superhighway

This December 1996 report evaluates electronic filing and disclosure efforts in various

states. Authored by Craig B. Holman, Robert Jystad, and Robert M. Stern. Published by the

National Resource Center for State & Local Campaign Finance Reform, Center for Governmental Studies, 10951 W. Pico Blvd., Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90064; (310) 470-6590.

Digital Sunlight Progress Report #1

This June 1997 publication from the California Voter Foundation summarizes the electronic

filing/online disclosure trend, providing an overview of recent activities in seven states. It is

available from the Foundation at P.O. Box 1151, Sacramento, CA 95812-1151; (916) 325-

2120 or from the "Digital Sunlight" Web site (see below).

Electronic Filing: A New Era In Campaign and Lobbying Financial Disclosure

This is a report to California Secretary of State Bill Jones by an advisory Panel on electronic

filing. Many subtopics of electronic filing, such as thresholds, software, standard file formats,

and diskette vs. online reporting, are covered in this report. Available from the Office of the

Secretary of State, 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, California 95814, the California Voter

Foundation or the "Digital Sunlight" Web site.

Plugging In The Public: A Report by the Center For Responsive Politics

This March, 1996 publication includes case studies of electronic filing systems in several

jurisdictions, including New Mexico, San Francisco and New York City. Available from the

Center at 1320 19th Street, NW Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036; (202) 857-0044 or from

the "Digital Sunlight" Web site.

Web Sites

Digital Sunlight: A project of the California Voter Foundation, this site offers comprehensive

resources designed to promote electronic filing and access to campaign finance data.

http://www.digitalsunlight.org/

FECInfo: Tony Raymond, the proprietor of this site, uses Federal Election Commission dataentered contribution records to create this well designed, easy to use site.

http://www.tray.com/FECinfo

Arizona Secretary of State: http://www.sosaz.com/elections.htm

California Secretary of State: http://www.ss.ca.gov

San Francisco Camp. Fine. Data: http://sf95.election.digital.com/finance/home.html

Florida Camp. Fine. Data: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/campfin/cfindb.htm

Hawaii Camp. Spending Comm.: http://www.hawaii.gov/campaign

Indiana Election Commission: http://www.ai.org/seb/html/campaignindex.html

Seattle Ethics & Elections Comm: http://www.pan.ci.seattle.wa.us/~seec

Excerpted from (or otherwise inspired by) the

Digital Sunlight Web Site: http://www.digitalsunlight.org/

38
10. Providing Voter

Registration

Services on the

Web

Another reason prompting a constituent to

visit the election office Web site is voter registration. While "online" registration does not

exist (due to the need for a signature on the

registration application), the Internet can (and

does) greatly facilitate the registration process.

For example, if I were to move into your jurisdiction and did not otherwise cross paths with

registration forms, I would likely check to see

if the local election office (or alternatively, the

State office) had a Web site that offered the

form. Many election agency Web sites do so in

one way or another. There are three primary

methods that agency Web sites tend to choose

from in facilitating registration via the

Internet.

The Internet can (and does)

greatly facilitate the registration

process.

Printing or Downloading a Form

One method of offering access to registration is to make the form available via the Web,

allowing the user to simply print it out and

use as one would with any other form. For example, if I were a resident of Alaska, I might

find the Elections Division of the Lieutenant

Governor's office Web site. I would see that

they offered a choice of options. The simplest

for me might be to print out a text based form.

Alternatively, they offer a word processing file

that Web visitors can download. Once downloaded (saved onto my computer), the file can

be opened and shown on screen or printed out

as needed without my being online. The latter

image will look a lot more like a conventional

g LoeallOrtp^D ,V*wn gcv state sk us/ltgov/e!ed

U Alaska Division of Elections

Alaska Voter Registration Application

Instructions

Revised My 1. 1996

You may use this form to Register, Change Your Address, Name, or Party Affiliation.

a-?

registration form, but its primary advantages

to me are that it includes instructions and I

can open the file whenever I need to. Thus, I

would be more apt to use the latter if I had

occasion to get others registered to vote. For

quick, one shot registration for myself, I would

likely use the text form. Either would have to

39
be printed out, signed by the applicant and

mailed to the election office.

The Arkansas Secretary of State's Office

takes a similar approach, but with a twist:

when you are viewing their Web site, you fill

out the information on-screen using the keyboard. When you are done, you "click" on a

screen "button" and the application is created

for you. You print it out, sign and mail it.

Local offices can just as easily provide the

registration form. The Atlantic County, New

Jersey Board of Elections provides a printable

form on their Web site, as do others.

Downloading a "PDF"

Another common method of offering voter

registration materials on the Web is with a

PDF file. This stands for "portable document

format," but it is more commonly known simply as a PDF. This format is a proprietary product of Adobe Systems Incorporated and is a

common means of "publishing" material on the

Web. A PDF file of a document looks just like

the published version, as did the word processing software program used by above by Alaska.

But to read the Alaska file, one must have compatible software. The same is true of a PDF

file, but that software (Adobe Acrobat Reader)

is freely available on the Internet at no cost.

Most Web sites that offer PDF documents also

provide a link to Adobe's download site, to facilitate a user's obtaining the necessary software. My personal view is that offering PDF

documents is fine, however I like to see alternative versions available. Some Web programmers believe that Internet users are born with

innate knowledge of PDF downloads, assume

that users have hard drives with adequate

space for more software, and have the time and

interest to obtain it. Many people do - and it

is good software to have. But the fact is that

for whatever reason, not everyone can or wants

to go through the additional steps needed for

viewing a PDF file. I suggest offering your Web

visitors choices.

Jurisdictions that offer registration forms

through PDF files are included in the resources

at the end of this chapter.

E-Mailing a Request

to the Agency

Another, more simple means of offering registration services is to provide an e-mail link
on the agency's Web page for the visitor to send

an electronic request to the election office requesting an application be mailed to the specified address. That is the means used by the

Alabama Secretary of State's office on their

Web site. The Florida Secretary of State's Office takes this a step further. Instead of sending a simple e-mail, the prospective registrant

fills out an on-line registration form, which is

e-mailed to the Elections Division. They in

turn, mail the paper registration form already

filled in to the applicant who then needs only

to sign and return it. Lancaster County, Nebraska election officials take a similar approach.

Providing Registration

Information

In addition to facilitating voter registration

itself, many election agencies provide information about the process through their Web sites.

Registration deadlines, qualifications, and registration sites are among the most common

types of information provided.

Many registration offices often provide statistical data on registration as well. Since such

data is frequently requested from agencies,

many find that they can save staff time by routinely posting this information on the Web for

news organizations and others that may be interested.

Since statistical data on registration is frequently requested from

agencies, officials find that staff

time can be saved by routinely

posting this information on the

Web.

Some jurisdictions also allow a voter to

check on their registration status through the

Web. The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners provides such a service. One can type

in their name and see if they are registered at

the appropriate address.

Providing voter registration resources on

the Internet can be an important contribution

to the overall Internet resources that your community provides. Your's may be among the

more popular resources and one to which other

Web sites in the community may wish to link.
Voter Registration Links in this section:

Printing or Downloading a Form

Alaska, Office of the Lieutenant Governor

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/regapp.htm

Arkansas, Office of the Secretary of State

http://sos.state.ar.us/vote/sos_vote.html

Atlantic County, New Jersey Board of Elections

http://cominlink.atlantic.county.lib.nj.us/votergsn.htm

Downloading a "PDF" *

Federal Election Commission (National Voter Registration Form)

http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm

Hawaii Office of Elections

http://kumu.icsd.hawaii.gov/elections/

Indiana, Office of the Secretary of State (Election Commission)

http://www.state.in.us/seb/index.html

Kansas, Office of the Secretary of State

http://www.mk.org/public/sos/elewelc.html

E-Mailing a Request to the Agency

Alabama, Office of the Secretary of State

http://www.alalinc.net/alsecst/requesta.htm

Florida, Office of the Secretary of State

http://eleetion.dos.state.fl.us/votereeg/regform.htm

Lancaster County, Nebraska Office of Election Commissioner

http://mterHnc.ci.lmcom.ne.us/InterLmc/cnty/election/votereg.htm

New York State Board of Elections

http://www.elections.state.ny.us/register.htm

Providing Registration Information

Alameda County, California, Office of the Registrar of Voters

http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/rov.html

Chicago Board of Election Commissioners

http://www.chicagoelections.com/

Oklahoma State Election Board

http://www.state.ok.us/~elections/97regst.html

42
11. Providing Other

Election Services

on the Web

The last two chapters focused on two specific areas of elections and Web-related issues

pertaining to each. This chapter takes a

broader view, looking at many additional elements of election administration as they relate to the Web. The information about elections that you can provide on your agency Web

site is limited only by your imagination (well,

perhaps the patience and time available to

your staff plays a role too).

The following subjects are among those that

election officials have included on their Web

sites. Included in each subject are some agencies that present such material, and the URL's

(Web addresses) for that specific presentation.

These are examples and are by no means intended to be exhaustive. Please be aware that

these are current as of the summer of 1997

but are subject to change by the agencies.

Abs ntee Ballot Application

and/or Information

Absentee ballot information, like voter registration, is among the most commonly presented on election agency Web sites. It is a

service of most election-related agencies and

one that a significant percentage of agency

constituents will need at one time or another.

It is especially useful to present this information on the Web since some who need this service will be requesting it from outside the jurisdiction. A soldier stationed overseas, or a

student or worker living temporarily out of

State can save significant time by obtaining

absentee voting information and an application from the Web. It may take weeks for a

member of the armed forces stationed in the

Far East to request and receive an absentee

ballot application through the mail. Yet he or

she can obtain it in barely a moment if the local election agency offers it via the Internet.

Clackamas County (OR) Clerk

http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/clerk/

elections/absentee.html

Ocean County (NJ) Clerk

http://204.141.122.24/bro-serv/

absentee.htm

Pueblo County (CO) Clerk

http://www.pueblo.org/clerk/

absentee.html

Agency NVRA Manual

With so many governmental agencies now

serving as voter registration sites, due to the

National Voter Registration Act of 1993, it is

logical (and useful) to make policy and proce43
dure manuals quickly available. At least one

State uses their Web site to facilitate this.

North Carolina State Board of Elections

http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/SBOE/

agenman.htm

Calendar of Election

Administration

Many election offices publish or otherwise

make available a calendar of deadlines. Many

officials in these offices are finding that they

can save printing and distribution costs - and

provide the information to recipients more

quickly - by making this information available

on the Web. Even though State election offices

produce many of these publications, there is

no reason why local agencies cannot provide

links to these and other State produced documents.

Vermont Office of the Secretary of State

http://www.sec.state.vt.us/when/

elcal96.htm

South Dakota Secretary of State

http://www.state.sd.us/state/executive/

sos/98calen.htm

New York State Board of Elections (which

provides a calendar by subject area)

http://www.elections.state.ny.us/

calendar.htm

Campaign Finance

and Disclosure

See Chapter 9.

Candidates (Information for)

Many jurisdictions provide candidates or

prospective candidates with information on the

election process. Is it possible that somewhere,

someone has decided to run for office who otherwise would not have, by coming across this

information on a Web site?

Brevard County (FL) Elections Office

http://www.brev.lib.fl.us/elections/

candinfo.htm

Kansas Secretary of State

http://www.ink.org/public/sos/

elefile.html

Tennessee Secretary of State

http://www.state.tn.us/sos/qualify.htm

Orange County (FL) Supervisor of

Elections

http://www.ocfelections.com/

runofc.htm

Johnson County (KS) Election

Commissioner

http://www.jocoelection.org/

fileab.htm

South Dakota Secretary of State

http://www.state.sd.us/state/executive/

sos/sig.htm

Rhode Island Secretary of State

http://www.sec.state.ri.us/rielec/

htrpolof.htm

Ohio Secretary of State

http://www.state.oh.us/sos/

candpage.html

Directory of Elected Officials

Citizens who wish to voice an opinion on a

particular matter may look to an election

agency Web site for a directory of elected officials. Such directories can provide official addresses as well as names of incumbents. Some

also include information of the terms or party

identification of these officials.

44
Johnson County (KS) Election

Commissioner

http://www.j ocoelection.org/

7elect.htm

Texas Secretary of State

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/function/

elec 1/official/cand.html

Wake County (NC) Board of Elections

http://wakecounty.state.nc.us/depts/

BordElec/official.htm

Ocean County (NJ) Clerk

http://204.141.122.24/official.htm

District Information

One of the basic questions that all constituents have at one time or another concerns what

district they are located in. A growing number

of election agencies use their Web resources to

help voters answer these questions. This may

be done in a variety of ways, sometimes

including maps. Also be aware of two jurisdictions that are discussed elsewhere in this chapter: the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, discussed below under "Polling Place

Locations" and the Johnson County (Kansas)

Election Commissioner's office, which is discussed under "Sample Ballots." These jurisdictions provide district information in conjunction with other data for the voter.

WITHOUT MAPS:

Denton County (TX) Clerk (Districts by

precinct)

http://www.iglobal.net/county/dept/

voter.htm

Michigan Secretary of State

gopher://gopher.sos.state.mi.us:70/00//

law and elect/election/district.inf

WITH MAPS:

Clackamas County (OR) Clerk

http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/gis/

htmls/polit.htm

Montgomery County (MD) Board of

Supervisors of Elections

http://www.co.mo.md.us/services/

elections/distmaps.htm

Florida Department of State

http://election.dos.state.fl.us/maps/

index.htm

Early Voting Information

Like absentee voting, early voting is a subject that voters can learn about from the Web.

Early voting locations will likely be one of the

questions for which constituents will seek an

answer from the Web.

Harris County (TX) Clerk

http://www.co.harris.tx.us/cclerk/

ELECT.HTM

Kansas Secretary of State

http://www.ink.org/publi/sos/adv.html

Election Results

This is the most common subject area of

elections provided on the Web. Many jurisdictions that provide no other information about

elections do provide election results. This

information takes many different forms. Some

is basic, bottom-line election results; some provides a breakdown by county or precinct. Many

election offices provided election returns as

they came in on election night. This service

was so popular in some places that some

users were unable to reach Web servers due to

overcrowding. I encourage you to provide election results on as well as after election night.

But if you do use the Web to post incoming

45
returns on election night be sure to: (1) let

people know of this service in advance, and (2)

be prepared with adequate "bandwidth" to allow an unusually large number of users to access the data at one time. You may wish to talk

with (or e-mail) agencies that have experience

with this. These include the Oklahoma State

Election Board; Clark County, Nevada; and

the Florida Secretary of State's office, among

others.

Vermont Secretary of State

Selections of race & precinct

http://www.sec.state.vt.us/results/

96gstate.htm

Davidson County (TN) Election Commission

Spreadsheet as text document

http://janis.nashville.org/vptot.txt

Ohio Secretary of Stare

http://www.state.oh.us/sos/

repdelrs.html

Kentucky State Board of Elections

http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/sbe/

pastelec.htm

Louisiana Secretary of State

http://www.sec.state.la.us/cgibin/

?rqstyp=ELCINQ&rqsdta=start

Montana Secretary of State

http://www.int.gov/sos/election.htin

North Carolina State Board of Elections

Statewide race by county (w/State wide

total)

http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/SBOE/

history/govgen92.htm

Tompkins County (NY) Board of Elections

Good Query Template

http://owasco.co.tompkins.ny.us/boe/

Minnesota Secretary of State

http://www.sos.state.mn.us/

genindex.html

Massachusetts Secretary of State

http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/sec/

ele/eleres/eleresidx.htm

Electoral College Q&A

Election agencies sometimes receive policy

questions - or otherwise may wish to provide

information about certain aspects of the electoral system. The Electoral College is one such

topic.

Indiana Election Commission

http://www.state.in.us/seb.html/

electors.html

Emergency Voting

If a constituent is hospitalized the night

before an election, he or she may not be able

to rush to a computer and access the Internet.

But a friend or relative might.

Clark County (NV) Election Department

http://www.co.clark.nv.us/election/

emgrvote.htm

Forms Availability

Making election-related forms available

through the Internet is an easy, quick way to

distribute them anywhere in the world. This

ability need not be restricted to voter registration or absentee ballot application forms

(see these areas, especially Chapter 10 (Voter

Registration) for a discussion of varying methods for offering a forms).

Kansas Secretary of State

http://www.ink.org/public/sos/

elecdown.html

46
How to Vote

Among the most basic, most important information election offices can provide to its

constituents is how to vote. Use of the voting

system(s) in your jurisdiction, hours of the

polling place, access for disabled voters and

other information can be offered via the Web.

Orange County (FL)

Supervisor of Elections

http://www.ocfelections.com/

votproce.htm

Initiative & Referendum Process

Voters in many States are expected to make

ballot decisions on issues as well as candidates.

Making information available to voters on the

process as well as specific ballot issues can be

quite useful. Some agencies that lack the ability to prepare such information, can still facilitate its availability from their Web site by

"linking" to other respected, Web sources for

the information, such as a League of Women

Voters.

Nebraska Secretary of State

http://www.nol.org/hoine/SOS/

initinfo.htm

Laws & Procedures

Want to get a copy of the Texas election code?

It is always fun to telephone a Texas election

official to ask for a copy, but if they're all at a

barbecue, you can still get the information from

the Web. Many State statutes (election codes

and otherwise) are now available on the Web.

Is yours?

Texas Secretary of State

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/function/

elec 1/la ws/la ws.html

Offices to be on the Ballot in

Future Election(s)

Whether yours is a county, State or village

election office, your constituents may want to

know what to expect on their ballot and when.

Indiana Election Commission

http://www.state.in.us/seb/docs/

el_sched.html

Johnson County (KS)

Election Commissioner

http^/www.j ocoelection.org/calmast.htm

South Dakota Secretary of State

http://www.state.sd.us/state/executive/

sos/98offices.htm

Polling Place Locations

Its 6AM and you want to vote. You know

that they have moved your polling place but

you forget where. You try to call your local election office but the lines are all busy (because

panic-stricken poll inspectors are all calling in

over their election workers that failed to show).

So you check in on the election office Web site

to see if polling places are listed. Are yours?

Wake County (NC) Board of Elections

http://wakecounty.state.nc.us/depts/

BordElec/polls.htm

Mecklenburg County (NC)

Board of Elections

(This county includes political/

demographic data for each precinct)

http://www.charweb.org/government/

election/precints/index.htm

Lancaster County (NB)

Election Commissioner

(This county includes a map of polling

places.)

47
http://interlinc.ci.lincoln.ne.us/

InterLinc/maps/precinct/elect-nw.htm

Los Angeles County and the City of Chicago

offer powerful "look-up" programs which allows

voters to type in their address and find out

where their polling place is. Chicago's program

will also tell you the district numbers that apply to your address):

Chicago Board of Election Commissioners

http://www.chicagoelections.com/

findjuris.htm

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder /

County Clerk

http://rrcc.co.la.ca.us/

Poll Worker Recruitment

Election agencies now use whatever means

they can to recruit poll workers. Why not recruit on the Web as well?

Wake County (NC) Board of Elections

http://wakecounty.state.nc.us/depts/

BordElec/officials.htm

Camden County (NJ) Board of Elections

http://www.co.camden.nj.us/

board.htm

Minnesota Secretary of State

http://www.sos.state.mn.us/

elecjudg.html

Brevard County (FL) Elections Office

http://www.brev.lib.fl.us/elections/

ebw.htm

Sample Ballots

A sample ballot is among the information

that election agencies offer on their Web sites.

This can be as general as the typical sample

ballot that sometimes appears in the newspaper the weekend before an election. It can also

be very specific. Among the most impressive

of election Web programs (and one that is not

listed here due to its seasonal nature) is that

of the Johnson County (Kansas) Election

Commissioner's Office. In 1996, that office allowed Web site visitors to type a registration

address and quickly see a sample ballot customized to that voting address. Now that is a

sample ballot!

Harris County (TX) Clerk

http://www.co.harris.tx.us/cclerk/

ELECT/SAMPLBLT.HTM

Student Outreach

Johnson County, Kansas election officials

also use their Web site to reach out to students

and future voters.

Johnson County (KS)

Election Commissioner

http://www.jocoelection.org/

student 1 .htm

also see:

http://www.jocoelection.org/

future.htm

Voter Education

Election offices, such as those in the West,

that are required to publish and distribute a

Voter's Guide, are turning to the Internet to

provide an alternative (or additional) means

of making the information available. Election

agencies that do not publish such materials

can still offer links to Web sites that do. Some

offices provide links to political party Web sites,

whereas others feel more comfortable linking

to non-partisan sites such as those of Project

Vote Smart, the League of Women Voters, or

similarly respected organizations.

California Secretary of State

http://www.ss.ca.gov/

48
Washington Secretary of State

Online Voters Guide to the November 5th

General Election

http://www.wa.gov/vote/

Prince George's County (MD) Board of

Supervisors of Elections

Voters' Guide (Published by the League of

Women Voters)

http://www.co.pg.md.us/election/

voters.htm

Vot r Information, Synopsis of

Election offices at all levels of government

frequently offer a summary of election information for voters. This is sometimes in the

form of "Frequently Asked Questions" (or

"FAQ's" as they are called in Internet lingo).

Clackamas County (OR) Clerk

http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/clerk/

elections/facts.html

Mecklenburg County (NC)

Board of Elections

Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.charweb.org/government/

meckboe/faq.htm#faq

or their more in depth

Voter Guide Publication

http://www.charweb.org/government/

meckboe/vg.htm

Lancaster County (NB)

Election Commissioner

http://interlinc.ci.lincoln.ne.us/

InterLinc/cnty/election/voteinfo.htm

Minnesota Secretary of State

(Voter's Guide)

http://www.sos.state.mn.us/

96voter.html

Voter Registration

See Chapter 10 of this publication.

Voting System Information

A variety of information on voting systems

can be offered via the Web. Some States offer

the frequently requested list of "which local

jurisdiction uses what." Some local agencies

provide instructions to voters on how to use

the local voting system. And some simply describe for voters how election officials tabulate

votes.

Wake County (NC) Board of Elections

http://wakecounty.state.nc.us/depts/

BordElec/voting.htm

Mecklenburg County (NC)

Board of Elections

"Finger Tip Voting"

http://www.charweb.org/government/

meckboe/ftv.htm

Florida Department of State

http://election.dos.state.fl.us/

votemeth/votemeth.htm

Indiana Election Commission

http://www.state.in.us/seb/html/

votinglndex.html

Johnson County (KS)

Election Commissioner

"How We Count the Votes on Election

Night"

http://www.jocoelection.org/

count.htm

Uniformed and

Overseas Citizens

(also see "Absentee Ballot Application and/or

Information")

49
Web sites provide an invaluable opportunity

for election administrators to provide services

to military and overseas constituents. The

Internet will likely become a primary means

of providing instructions, deadlines and forms

to such faraway residents. The "Net" will undoubtedly facilitate voting by this special constituency. Be sure not to overlook these voters

when planning and maintaining your Web site.

Hawaii Election Office

http://kumu.icsd.hawaii.gov/elections/

uniform.htm

And...

Any other information that is in demand

from your office is fair game for your Web site.

This often includes general information about

the agency, its staff, board and mission. Publications that are either prepared or distributed

by your office can be made available on the

Web. State election agencies should probably

include listings of local election offices, including links to their Web sites. Larger Web sites

typically include search mechanisms, so a visitor can type in a key word or phrase and

quickly find its location. E-mail links are also

commonly included in agency Web sites. These

provide visitors with an easy means of e-mailing a question or comment to the agency. Be

sure, however, to check and respond to such

messages. Agency Web site content is limited

primarily by your imagination.

50
Part III:

Issues &

Resources
52
12. Obstacles &

Problems

In surveying election agencies for this publication, surprisingly few reported any significant problems using the Internet. These surveys largely came from agencies already using the Internet, however. So obstacles preventing Internet use may be under-represented.

Having made that journey (from a computer-less office environment to the online

world) a time or two I have some inkling of the

obstacles one can meet along the way. This

section looks at some of these. You may also

want to read "Diary of Connecting an Agency"

in the appendix - but only if you promise not

to let it discourage you (it does have a happy

ending).

Time

The most frequently mentioned difficulty

was the lack of staff time to devote to Web site

development and maintenance. "Our

Webmaster has other duties," said one election administrator, "and those take priority

over the Web site." That sentiment was echoed from a many offices. Many of these use

the Internet and have Web sites, but due to

the lack of time and staff resources, had to

moderate their desire to further develop to

their sites. One agency official put it this way,

"While a more exciting presence on the Web

could be crafted, its development will necessarily be limited by the extent to which our

energy must be focused on more basic issues."

Keeping this balance in mind would also

seem to be a primary challenge for agency official. Web site development and Internet use

in general must be managed in such a way that

it enhances the agency's mission. If it approaches the point where it begins to detract

from that mission, then it is a signal that management is needed to add balance.

Web site development and Internet

use must be managed in such a

way that it enhances the agency's

mission. If it detracts from that

mission by absorbing too many

resources, then balance may be

needed.

Finances

It may be surprising to those officials who

have no experience with the Internet that venturing into the online world is rarely expensive. Granted, "expensive" is a relative term,

53
but the costliest part of adding e-mail to your

agency is the purchase of a computer. And all

of you already have computers, right? (If you

don't, keep it to yourself). Even an old, slow

computer can handle basic e-mail. Browsing

the Web does require more computer horsepower than e-mail.

You will need a modem or a connection to

your government's Internet gateway (if it has

one), but these need not be prohibitive costs

(my agency recently purchased two modems

at a cost of about $150 each). Basic software

for Internet applications is available at for free

through the Internet or from Internet service

providers. It often comes loaded on new computers as well.

State and local government's computer service divisions are generally available to provide good

quality technical services. If yours

is not, then lobby your government

administrators for it.

Some agencies pay monthly charges for

Internet access and/or for Web site service. For

most agencies, however, the costs are low or

non-existent. If this is not the case for you,

consider alternatives. Perhaps Chapter 14 will

provide some ideas.

Technical Assistance

Aside from the computers themselves, human resources might cost you. There are a

variety of skills that are useful when working

with computers and the Internet, not the least

of which is patience. And while this particular

skill is necessary, it is not usually sufficient.

Please understand that using the Internet is

not difficult. However, in my humble opinion,

the ability of the computer industry to provide

user-friendly, intuitive products that work in

concert with one another is abysmal. My experience suggests that with almost every new

product or upgrade comes an unforeseen headache (see "Diary of Connecting an Agency" in

the appendices). Perhaps this is a byproduct

of the rush of innovative new products that

are coming onto the market. Or perhaps I am

just getting old. Regardless, don't let temporary frustrations (a) make you feel stupid, or

(b) stop you from using these outstanding tools.

The good news for election agencies is that

State and local government computer service

divisions are generally available to provide

good quality technical services as well as handholding. If yours is not, then lobby your government administrators for this service (it will

be of use to them as well). Otherwise you will

need to look elsewhere for your support group

(see Chapter 14).

Plunging into this new technology is like

getting a new puppy. There is likely to be a

somewhat difficult adjustment period as you

and your new pet learn what to expect from

one another. Accidents will happen. You will

sometimes feel inclined to threaten your new

pet with a rolled up newspaper. But rest assured: you will emerge from this adjustment

period well rewarded for your patience.

54
13. Other Issues

Concerning

Internet Use

Using the Internet will open many opportunities for your office to better serve constituents. It will also pose new questions and problems. Some administrators may choose to avoid

the Internet as a way of avoiding new problems. That would be unfortunate. The advantages of Internet use to election agencies and

their constituents far outweigh the headaches.

Some of the issues are discussed in this section for your consideration.

Management Issues

The Internet, like any other work area - be

it voting systems, personnel, or budgeting -

requires management by the administrator to

make sure that it provides benefits and not

abuse. Some jurisdictions, either at the agency

If your consultants present you

with systems that are so complicated that you avoid using them,

then you need new consultants.

level or the broader government, require employees with Internet access to sign a Statement recognizing that Internet use by the

employee should be for official use only. Regardless of such Statements and policies, it will

fall on office supervisors to make sure that the

Internet is used appropriately in the office.

Another management issue is that of expertise. We are election officials, not computer

experts. As such, we have a certain level of

dependency on others for expertise in this area.

There is sometimes a tendency to put too much

faith in these folks. Like any other consultants,

be it in-house staff or external, never forget

that they are there to produce for you. If they

present you with an e-mail system that is so

complicated that you avoid it, then tell them

to get lost. These systems should be arranged

in such a way to simplify your life, not otherwise. If your people are not producing such a

system, then the problem may be your people.

Private Use and Public Records

If asked to think about it, most governmental employees would probably agree that, technically, an e-mail sent from an agency is usually considered a public document. Most however do not think about it - until too late.

In October 1996, an enterprising reporter

with the Associated Press sought and obtained

records of over 200 e-mail messages sent from

State-provided Internet addresses in a Midwestern State. His subsequent article embar55
rassed many (including the State election director) and sent shivers down many a spine.

The article quoted Dale Herbeck, a Boston

College professor who discussed the "Faustian

bargain" of Internet technology: "There's an

incredible upside potential—you can now have

access to the Library of Congress, access to

academics worldwide," Herbeck said. "We're

now discovering there are all sorts of problems.

What if some State employees log into their

favorite football team's home page and spend

hours? What if they post something potentially

defamatory or libelous? If you stop and think

about what a State employee could do with a

computer, it's daunting—both the good things

and the bad things."

Many officials who diligently apply public records laws to paper

documents have not even considered the application of these to

electronic records.

Also daunting is another public records issue: archival. Election officials are well acquainted with retention requirements of public records. Federal election law requires that

certain documents be retained for certain periods of time. State and local governments typically require all agencies to abide by additional

archival requirements. With the age of the electronic document upon us, archival challenges

take on new dimensions. Many officials who

diligently apply public records laws to paper

documents have not even considered the application of these to electronic records.

Be aware of these issues. Learn about the

public records laws in your jurisdiction and

how they might apply to Internet use - and

computers in general. You may want to adjust

your agency policy and procedures manual -

and don't forget to discuss these issues with

your employees.

Managing E-Mail

I have this friend who drives me crazy. He

checks his e-mail once a month and then finds

dozens, sometimes hundreds of messages

awaiting him. He of course is overwhelmed -

and ignores them all for another month.

E-mail is easier to hide from view than letters sitting in an in-basket, but it may be important nonetheless. Be sure to establish routines for regularly checking e-mail. Some may

be "junk-mail" not worth responding to. But

some may be from a constituent with an urgent problem. If you are getting too much email, then work through the problem before it

overwhelms you. Can some be better directed

to other staff? Is your e-mail address "too"

public? These are problems that can be dealt

with - but not by ignoring them.

Junk e-mail on the Internet is a growing

problem, and one that Congress is now debating. If this is a problem that is plaguing you,

then discuss it with your Internet service provider.

Using Listservs &

Automated E-Mail

Some of your e-mail may come from

"listservs," or mailing lists organized around

a particular subject (see information in appendix). As you may recall from Chapter 4, when

one subscriber sends an e-mail to the listserv,

that message is automatically distributed to

all other subscribers.

Setting up a listserv is relatively easy and

is something that your government computer

services department may be able to do for you,

perhaps for no cost. The use of specialized

56
listservs by election agencies is growing. For

example, local and State election officials in

California use a listserv to communicate with

one another en masse. Such systems will likely

be common someday, as more local election

offices gain e-mail capabilities. Similar electronic communication systems are showing up

as components of the growing number of Statewide voter registration networks around the

nation. This ability to instantly communicate

with your election colleagues throughout the

State provides participants with a powerful

support network.

Campaign finance agencies are starting to

use listservs or similar tools to communicate

with political committees. They can send bulletins, including reminders of filing deadlines.

Other agencies are using these tools to send

out news releases and notices of public meetings. Using listservs for these functions can

be a boon for both the sender and recipient,

eliminating work and postage while speeding

communications.

Role of State Election Offices

There will inevitably be some local election

officials who steadfastly resist change (unlike

you who is reading this). There will be others

that simply lack exposure to opportunities or

resources to learn about the Internet.

State election directors can play an important role in developing the potential of the

Internet in election administration by teaching local administrators about its advantages

and how one enters the "online" world. Inclusion of Internet topics at periodic seminars

hosted by State officials is but one way of

preaching this gospel.

State officials, at their own meetings, can

(and probably do) share some of their own innovations in enticing local jurisdictions into

State election officials should

encourage Internet technology

among local jurisdictions. Local

officials should insist on it - and

help them do so.

the Internet. For example, the Florida Secretary of State's office has developed Web sites

for each of its counties. The Michigan Secretary of State's Office in developing its forthcoming Statewide "Qualified Voter File" will

introduce its many local jurisdictions to the

Internet. The California Secretary of State has

also taken a leadership role in advocating use

of the Internet in various aspects of elections.

State election officials can and should use

their unique role in the election community to

encourage this technology among the local jurisdiction within its boundaries. Local officials,

in turn, should insist that State officials fulfill

these duties - and help them do so.

57
ELEC net

e led ion administration resources on the intern el

ELECnet: Building Bridges to One Another with the Internet

By Edward P. Packard

Over time, as election administration has grown toward maturity as a professionalized

public service, many election officials have concluded that there is much to be learned from our

colleagues in neighboring jurisdictions. This fact is becoming frequently more evident whether

those jurisdictions are across a county line, across the state, or across the nation.

Traditionally, this sharing has occurred through seminars, meetings, newsletters and

other publications. However, the Internet and its renowned child, the World Wide Web, are increasingly being recognized as powerful tools for connecting people to information and each other. That

power is not lost on election officials who, like other professionals, are creating a significant presence on the Web.

The ELECnet Elections Resource Pages on the World Wide Web, and the ELECnet

electronic mailing list, are two of the resources that have been created by present and former

election officials to promote communication - and a sense of community - among election officials.

The ELECnet Web site provides an ever growing index to the presence of elections offices on the

Web - and links to them. The mailing list provides a forum for discussing issues involving election

administration.

The Internet offers the potential for revolutionizing interaction among election officials -

in addition to facilitating our interaction with the public. Through e-mail, election officials nationwide

are able to conduct dynamic conversations with one another. We can easily probe each other for

information, brainstorm ideas to resolve common problems, or just correspond and strengthen the

bonds within our own "community."

Through Web pages, our offices can impart vast information to the public. That same

information can assist election officials who may be seeking information from their counterparts. No

limit exists in the Internet in our ability to share knowledge and experiences. In only a moment, one

can be browsing through the publications and other information made available by hundreds (and

soon thousands) of election agencies around the globe - while never leaving your desk.

The ELECnet resources were created to help election officials harness this power of the

Internet. Through these types of ventures, we hope to promote further professionalization of the

field by facilitating an ongoing dialogue and sharing among colleagues and others interested in

progressive and efficient public administration.

Ed Packard serves as the Administrator for the National Voter Registration Act in the Elections

Division of Alabama's Office of the Secretary of State. He is the creator of the ELECnet web site

and the ELECnet electronic mailing list. You can reach him at epackard@ibm.net. The ELECnet

Web site can be found at <http://www.iupui.edu/~epackard/eleclink.html>. Information on the

ELECnet mailing list can be in the appendices of this publication in the "listserv" section.

08
14. Where to Go for

Help

Let's say that you are ready to take the

plunge: you want e-mail and you want to develop a basic Web site for your office. But your

county is a small one. It has no computer services division. Most people say that you are

the most knowledgeable person about computers in county government, and you don't know

where to start. You have a computer, but there

is no modem. In fact, you wouldn't recognize a

modem if someone left a pile of them on your

desk. What can you do?

There's a lot you can do. Here are a few

ideas. Maybe they will stimulate others:

• Call or write the principal of a local high

school. Ask him if he would refer you to a

teacher (or department) that might be interested in making a student project out

of getting you connected.

• Contact a nearby college or university and

make a similar pitch - perhaps to their

computer department, or even to the chairman of the political science department.

Internet-literate students of government

might relish the idea of helping to bring

the election office online.

• Call or write the manager of a local (or regional) Internet service provider. Explain

that you want to develop a Web site and

e-mail capability for your office to bring

registration and election services closer to

community residents, including students

and military personnel away from home.

Ask if they would donate services, including technical expertise to help make this

possible, perhaps as a community service

gesture.

I Make the same type of pitch to the local

Chamber of Commerce - or ask them to

refer you to a business that might be interested in providing the community with

such a service.

Consider filling future vacancies

of any position on your staff with

someone who also brings computer

and Internet skills to your office.

I Contact the library and see if they have

their own Internet service and can offer

assistance in getting the election office connected.

I Perhaps the library or the Chamber of

Commerce would know of a local not-forprofit organization that can share services

and expertise.

59
• Contact the telephone company, a local

utility, or perhaps a bank. Speak to someone fairly high up the chain, such as the

local manager or bank president.

You may well receive a few "no" answers,

but someone out there is going to jump at the

chance of providing you with a Web site, technical expertise and e-mail capability. After all,

who can say "no" to bringing democracy closer

it its citizens? If your sales pitch is a good one,

then you will probably be overrun with offers

of help. If you are not skilled at making such

pitches, then recruit someone who can help you

do it.

Chances are that you can find

willing and enthusiastic assistance in your own backyard.

Election managers are also finding ways of

building staff resources with technical capabilities. Larger offices may have their own inhouse technical division. Smaller offices may

have to get by with adding a "systems analyst" position or two. If nothing else, consider

filling future vacancies of any position on your

staff with someone who also brings to your office computer and Internet skills. Thus,

whether you are filling an attorney position or

a clerical one, you might look for people who

are not only good at that skill, but also knowledgeable of computers and the Internet. There

are many such people out there.

Some election officials hire outside consultants to help them with the Internet. Others

believe that is a terrible idea, preferring to

develop such skill at the staff level. Certainly,

there may be a time and place for either approach. If, however, you are able to add these

skills to your staff, then try to do so. One advantage this provides is to have (or develop)

technical expertise in someone who also has

knowledge of elections. This can make the technical advice that much more valuable.

Perhaps either your State election office or

your State association of election officials can

provide temporary expertise. Perhaps you can

borrow a colleague from another office - even

one from another election office in a neighboring jurisdiction. Chances are, however, that

you can find willing, if not enthusiastic assistance in your own backyard, either from a

school or business. Such a partnership may

have the side benefit of a good public relations

story for one or both partners.

60
Online Resources for Using the Internet

Creative Good

Creative Good has written dozens of columns about how to understand various Internet

topics — for example, what's a cookie? How do you use AltaVista? What's Java? These

columns, like the rest of the site, are free (and free of any advertising)

http://www.creativegood.com

Washington Post's "Fast Forward"

Fast Forward publishes software reviews, pointers to useful Web sites, a calendar of events

of interest to the digitally inclined and withering analysis of the world of home computing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ffwd/

Patrick Crispen's Internet Roadmap Workshop

Roadmap is comprised of 27 lessons plus "extras" written for beginners and are delivered in

an easy-to-follow, entertaining style that will soothe even the most nervous "student driver"

on the Information Superhighway.

http://rs.internic.net/nic-support/roadmap96

Library of Congress

Internet tools and guides from the Library of Congress Web site

http://lcweb.loc.gov/giobal/explore.html

Harris Semiconductor

The following list of Internet Information Sources is provided by the HARRIS Mountaintop

site as a service to the Internet Community.

http://www.mtp.semi.harris.com/internet_info.html

Larry's World

This is columnist Larry Magid's Web site, from which chapter's 2 and 3 of this publication

are extracted (with Larry's permission). Larry's World includes articles of computers and the

Internet.

http://www.larrysworld.com/

Yahoo's Computer & Internet Resources Page

This is Yahoo's collection of links to computer and Internet resources

http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_lnternet/lnternet/Resources/

Landfield Group's Page on Internet Newsgroup Information

If you are looking for references to Usenet newsgroups check out this page of references

and resources.

http://www.landfield.com/usenet/

61
PBS Online's Life on the Internet

"Life On The Internet" examines the ways people use this new medium and its impact on all

of us. Includes Beginner's Guide and historical information.

http ://www.pbs.org/internet/

Your friends and colleagues

A good online, personal resource is your own friends and colleagues. Find your friends in

the E-mail Directory in the appendices of this publication. Or subscribe to the ElecNet

listserv (see "Listservs" in the appendices). Send an e-mail asking for help with a particular

problem.

62
15. Final Thoughts

The Internet is no fad. Not only is it here to

stay, but it is just getting warmed up. Its phenomenal growth in numbers is second only to

the its phenomenal growth in ability. What I've

offered to you is just a small tip of the iceberg.

There are other facets of the Internet not discussed in this publication: newsgroups (also

known as USENET) are quite popular, although not used much yet in election administration. Internet "chat" is another dimension

of the Net that you will someday have occasion to use.

The truth is that we cannot even conceive

of the things we will be doing via the Internet

in ten years. We do know this: You ain't seen

nothin' yet.

As with almost every other fact of modern

life, the Internet is transforming election administration. Our ability to e-mail one another

is a wonderful tool. Our ability to expand the

reach of our services through the World Wide

Web is also terrific. But there is much more

yet to come. We are just beginning to see a few

of the possibilities. The Internet offers us the

ability to move vast quantities of information

quickly and easily. That is a tool that we will

find very useful in the years to come. The State

of Michigan, for example, is planning to use

the Internet as part of it Statewide voter registration system. State and local election offices will be sharing voter registration data

with each other via Internet file transfers.

While the Michigan system may be "State

of the art" once it is in place, someday such

high-tech systems will be the norm. The days

of the isolated, independent, rural election office are passing. Such offices may still be rural, and no doubt the same friendly faces will

still inhabit them. But they will likely be receiving e-mail absentee ballot applications

We cannot even conceive of the

things we will be doing via the

Internet in ten years. We do know

this: You ain't seen nothin* yet

from soldiers tens of thousands of miles away.

They will likely have their voter registration

data base electronically connected to State and

local agencies involved in the registration process. Perhaps they will automatically e-mail

election information into people's homes. And

who knows if and how the Internet may ultimately affect the casting of ballots.

Whatever the future may hold for us, it is a

safe bet that the Internet, in one way or another, will be a part of it. It will change the

63
way we do business - and we will wonder how

we ever lived without it.

You and I may or may not be among those

smiling office inhabitants. Regardless, we can

play a pivotal role today in preparing our offices for the future. Get better acquainted with

the Internet. Develop a plan to enter the online

world. If you are already there, further develop

those resources.

We can play a pivotal role today

in preparing our offices for the

future.

I saw one of those inspirational posters a

few weeks ago in a store. I tend not to pay much

attention to such things, but the words caught

my eye: "If you are not riding the wave of

change, you'll find yourself beneath it." Ride

the wave. You'll be glad you did.

64
Appendices

1. Agony and Ecstasy: Diary of

Connecting an Agency

2. John Kaufeld Columns:

Publicizing Your Web Presence

Finding Information on the Web

Sending Files Through the Internet

"Plug-Ins" for Web Browsers

3. Electronic Filing and Disclosure:

Supplemental Reports

Digital Sunlight Progress Report

Proposed Model Electronic

Reporting Law

California Legislative Proposal (digest)

4. Internet Use Agreements

5. Listservs & Internet Mailing Lists

6. Directory of Web Sites for Election

Agencies

7. E-Mail Directory for Election Offices

and Officials
66
Appendix 1

Agony and Ecstasy:

Diary of Connecting an

Agency

While preparing this publication I began work as director of the Indiana State Ethics Commission.

ISEC is a small state agency with five employees. By early 1997 it had become one of a minority state

agencies that remained "unconnected" to the Internet. The agency did have some presence on the State's

"intranet," which serves as an in-house Web. Since I tend to use e-mail more than my voice, I knew this

lack of an Internet connection was something I wanted to address quickly.

Internet access was only one of the technology issues facing the agency. All employees were

equipped with Macintosh computers, most of which were aging. Since the initial purchase of these computers, the State's Information Services Division (ISD) discontinued support for Macs. Our first decision was

whether to continue investing in this technology or convert to PC's (IBM compatible) and Windows operating system.

Other issues we faced included whether or not to connect to the State's communication backbone,

providing us with constant and fast access to the Internet as well as intranet access; and how to get started in

the development of an agency Web site. I also wanted to look into the development of a listserv (Internet

mailing group) on the topic of governmental ethics.

March 10, 1997

This is my first day as agency director. I find what I fear: aging Macs, no Internet access, no Web site

and, no connection to state communications backbone. I call ISD and set up appointment with their

consultants to help us through these issues.

March 17, 1997

Met with Jim and Fred from ISD. This is an exploratory meeting, where we talk about where the

agency is in terms of technology and where we are going. Finances, of course, will impact these

decisions. We have some money available in our budget this fiscal year (ending in 2+ months), but we

will have to make decisions fairly quickly to take advantage of it. Nothing was decided at this meeting,

but we laid out the issues and will talk more soon.

March 25, 1997

I called Access Indiana Information Network (AIIN), which provides Web services for state employees. Their contact discussed their procedures for working with agencies, which include a contract.

This is required but there is no charge to the agency. I signed the contract copies (already in the office)

67
and mailed them back. AIIN explained that they are a semi-private organization, financed through a

small fraction of the Web pages they maintain for the State. AIIN will assign a Web developer to assist

us, however, content and updating decisions will be our responsibility.

April 3, 1997

Jim called from ISD to set up a meeting to follow up on computerization & backbone issues. Fred will

again be there, as will Joe, who has experience with conversion issues (such as Mac to PC) and procurement.

April 7, 1997

Met with representatives from Access Indiana to discuss agency Web site development. The formal

unveiling of our Web site cannot occur until the contract is fully through the approval process, which

usually takes a month. However, we can (and will) begin Web site development and establish a "test"

site prior to that. I am to provide them with an outline of what I envision our home page to look like.

They also want us to think about the general presentation of our material on the Web. It can be very

flashy or very basic. They gave examples of each.

I mentioned that I would eventually like to make the financial disclosure statements available on our

Web site. They said they would help us do so.

April 9, 1997

Kent from Access Indiana (AI) returned my call about procedures and guidelines for setting up a

listserv. He says it is very simple and that there is no cost. There are two types: administered and nonadministered. "Administered" means that a subscriber must be pre-approved by the designated person. He says AI provides the hardware & software but that it is essentially a self-operating mechanism.

April 10, 1997

Met with my three friends from ISD (Fred, Jim & Joe) for just under an hour this afternoon. Jim serves

as liaison from ISD to our agency, Fred's focus appears to be networks, and Joe's specialty appears to

be PC issues (including system conversion and procurement).

I mentioned two key questions: (1) whether to stick with Macs or move toward PC's (which have

become the standard in Indiana state government), and (2) whether or not to connect to the state's

backbone. Two concerns relate to these issues: security and finances. We have confidential case information which must be protected. With regard to finances, money will be available incrementally,

including some from this year's budget, if we can make a decision quickly enough.

To move things forward, I tossed out the approach I was leaning toward: buy two PC's right away -

one for me and one for everyone else (other employees will still have their desktop Mac's, but can use

the "communal" PC for Internet access and to become acquainted with a Windows based system.

In addition, buy one or two printers, get two modems and install phone lines for each. Software can

hopefully be obtained through ISD.

With one exception, they liked this approach. My plan bypasses the State's communication backbone,

because of the monthly cost. I said I would love the speed of a backbone connection, but it is a luxury

and I won't pay $175/month for it when I can get dial-up service for $20/month from a private Internet

68
service provider. The focus now moves to implementation. Joe will call me with prices. Jim will

arrange a visit to the agency for them to see how we are currently set up.

April 14, 1997

Joe & Jim from ISD came to the agency & did a walk-through. Jim has learned of the availability of

surplus computers from another agency. They want to set up yet another meeting, this time including

folks from the Data Processing Oversight Commission. I said I want any such meeting to be this week

so we can move forward, keeping an eye on procurement deadlines. I like the plan on the table, and am

not eager to change it - or delay it

Jim called back later. The meeting with DPOC is set for Friday morning in our offices.

April 16, 1997

Johnny, the Access Indiana Webmaster called. He wants to get together to discuss Web site & content.

Meeting set for tomorrow afternoon.

April 17, 1997

Met with Johnny about our home page. We gave him a diskette with some (but not all) of the information that he will reformat for the Web site.

April 18, 1997

Met again with the three musketeers from ISD. The folks from DPOC decided against joining us,

making me wonder why we were meeting at all. We rehashed what we had talked about before. They

were to get back with me on what might be available in the way of surplus equipment. I am inclined to

buy new equipment anyway, but I am curious if printers might be available. I want to get procurement

papers moving early next week.

April 22, 1997

Jim (ISD) called. They have not been able to see the surplus hardware yet. Forget it, I said. It is

procurement time.

I arranged for Joe and Joann (our business manager) to get together. Joe will fax me updated information on prices including a faster modem than he previously listed and a range of choices for printers.

Steve from Access Indiana called. The "Gov-Ethics" listserv is set up! He will e-mail instructions to

me at home.

May 6,1997

I called another friend at ISD who is acquainted with the state's free dial-up service (as an alternative

to the backbone connection). He said he was unsure if their capacity has improved since he once

mentioned jammed phone lines. There had been an attempt, he said, to add more and faster modems,

but it didn't happen. All of their modems are currently 14400 baud (slow, by today's standards).

That is all I need to know. I will contact a private service provider.

69
May 9, 1997

Phone lines for the modems were installed today!

I left a message with John at the company where we ordered our two inkjet printers wondering when

they would be shipped.

May 12, 1997

I called a regional Internet service provider and ordered service for the agency. They will mail a packet

tomorrow with everything we need for a Windows 95 connection. Our agency e-mail address will be

<ethics@iquest.net>.

May 14, 1997

John, the printer salesman, finally called back. It seems the printers we ordered have been discontinued. "Discontinued? You quoted us a price on them and accepted our order!" He offered to try to find

some anyway, but that may take a few days. I told him we'll get printers elsewhere.

May 20, 1996

I called Johnny, the Webmaster, who apologized for being so busy. (That's okay, we don't have

much Web information together for him yet anyway). But we agree to get diskettes with material to

him in a few days. We set a target date for the second week in June to have the agency Web site up.

We agree on a URL (Web address) for the agency, which we will publish in the newsletter we are

preparing.

May 21, 1996

Good news: our two new PC's arrived today. Bad news: The vendor failed to send us any monitors!

This is a little bit like having a fancy, new car - but without the steering wheel. One of the PC's is

rattling; sounds like a loose screw. I'll ignore it. I called the vendor. They promised to get us monitors,

but were a bit vague as to when.

May 23, 1997

During a "day off," I tried to buy printers at a local store where we had an account. The account is

inactive, because we haven't used it in over a year. Still no printers.

May 27, 1997

Webmaster Johnny called. Where is the Web stuff, he wanted to know. I've got a lot ready, just not

quite as organized as I would like it. He picked up a diskette 20 minutes later.

With our account reactivated at the local office supply store, we made another attempt at ordering

printers.

I left a message for our erstwhile computer vendor: "You didn't call back as promised last Friday.

Where are the damn monitors?"

May 28, 1997

Computer vendor calls back. We should have monitors by the 30th.

70
May 29, 1997

Good news: The monitors arrive! More good news: the printers arrive!

Bad news: Neither the computer vendor nor printer manufacturer supplied a cable to connect the

printer to the computers. I briefly consider using agency subpoena power, but my staff attorney counsels otherwise.

Both PC's now work, albeit without printing yet. The modems, which appear to be circuit boards and

which arrived long ago, must still be installed.

May 30, 1997

Both printers now work, thanks to cables we bought locally. I called ISD for help in installing the

modems.

June 4, 1997

Why can't anything be easy? Joe from ISD arrived today to install the modems, and in so doing:

(1) We find that they are the wrong ones - 28800 baud instead of the 33600 we ordered (I said let's get

them installed now and return them when we get the faster ones we ordered), and

(2) The 28800 modems won't work anyway. Joe suggests this latter problem is what he calls "a faulty

link between the chair and the keyboard." He plans to return tomorrow with ISD's "hardware guru" to

try again.

June 5, 1997

Joe and The Guru put another hour in on the modem and then give up. I later left a voice-mail message

for Joe asking, "Which do we shoot: the modem, the computer, or the hardware guru?"

Joe later makes arrangements to pick up the modem and do some tests on it at ISD.

June 9, 1997

I called Joe, asking how our modem is doing. Not well, he says. Problem is still unknown. He plans to

call the modem manufacturer today.

June 10, 1997

I called Joe, leaving a message: I want the modems back, dead or alive. Its time to return them and get

on with our lives.

I called the vendor who supplied the modems-from-hell to us and told their sales office of our troubles.

I said that I wanted to exchange them for the faster ones we ordered - and preferably ones that work.

The sales person said I should talk with someone in Tech Support.

Rick, in Tech Support, says this problem sounds familiar! Although Rick speaks in "technical-ese," he

appeared to be saying that we have the correct modem - but that the manufacturer shipped it with (a)

incorrect packaging, and (b) the wrong driver (programming). His proposed solution was to download

the correct modem driver from a Web site. My solution was to get Rick and Joe together.

June 11, 1997

Joe called. Rick's solution works! He will return the first modem tomorrow and install the second one

then.

71
June 12, 1997

Finally! Two, new PC's, both of which now work, connected to printers that now work, and functioning modems! We have Internet access! And that is just in time to see our new Web site, which Webmaster

Johnny now has up and running.

72
Appendix 2

John Kaufeld Columns:

"Doing Business

On-Line"

These four columns discuss issues that election officials raised questions about in surveys for this

project. They are written for a business audience but the issues have relevance to election officials.

These columns are reprinted through the courtesy of

Publicizing Your Web Presence

By John Kaufeld, (February 1996)

Q: My consulting company recently set up e-mail access and a World Wide Web site, but I'm not sure

what comes next. How do I tell people that we're on the Internet?

A: Arriving at the Internet party is only the first half of the online business equation. Announcing your

presence is the other. If your company is an electronic wall flower, your customers will end up dancing with

the competition.

The easiest way to tell people about your online presence is to make it part of your regular business address.

Start by adding a couple of lines to your business card for your e-mail address and the Uniform Resource

Locator (or URL) of your Web site. By putting that right onto your card, new contacts automatically have

the information handy.

If your firm has a general information e-mail address (like info@smallcorp.com), put that on your company

letterhead. Provide your personal e-mail address in the body of your letters, the same way you would tell

someone your direct phone number.

When giving out your e-mail address, use the standard Internet format of name@company.com, just like the

example above.

If your e-mail account is through an online service like America Online or CompuServe, don't bother

putting America Online: JKaufeld or CompuServe: 71303,3713 on your card. Instead, just use the regular

Internet address format (jkaufeld@aol.com and 71303.3713@compuserve.com in these examples).
Your World Wide Web address should be in regular URL format, which looks like http://members.gnn.com/

minstrel (which, by the way, is the address of my new Web site on the Global Network Navigator system).

Don't stop there, though — print your online addresses on everything that sits still long enough. Put them

on brochures, newspaper ads, flyers, and billboards. Some companies even include them in radio ads (but I

think that's going a little overboard).

One of the best ways to advertise your e-mail address is to simply use it. Communicating with your customers via e-mail and contributing your expertise to an Internet mailing list are both great ways to tell the world

about your company.

When writing an e-mail message, remember to include a signature section at the end.

E-mail signatures are a standard part of Internet culture. They started years ago on Unix computers and are

a ready-to-use feature of most Internet e-mail programs today.

A normal e-mail signature consists of your name and e-mail address, plus a witty quote or reference to your

World Wide Web page. Signatures should never be longer than four lines of text (that's another cultural

standard).

Your signature is personal; it's like choosing which tie to wear. You might make one that's all business or

add a splash of color with a quote or comment about life.

My standard signature is John Kaufeld, Author on the Loose, jkaufeld@aol.com — http://members.gnn.com/

minstrel, and a quote from the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".

Since Monty Python isn't appropriate for every occasion (although it comes close), I use an alternate

signature that's strictly business. It says John Kaufeld, Author, Trainer, and Speaker, and then my email and

Web page addresses.

Some e-mail programs allow for two signatures, a default and an alternate, but it's not a widely available

feature. If you aren't sure what your software does, look in the online Help file (select the Help option on

the menu) or ask your friendly computer support person.

Signatures are also socially acceptable way to advertise on the Internet. Many mailing lists and network

newsgroups revolt against straight advertising messages, but they don't mind a commercial spin in your

signature.

Keep your signature advertisement low-key and short. Limit it to a single line of text.

For example, a rug importer might use something like Visit the House of Pile at http://www.carpet.com. It

clearly gives the company's World Wide Web URL, piques the reader's curiosity with an interesting site

name, and (most importantly) is short and to the point.

74
Finding Information on the Web

By John Kaufeld, (April 1996)

Q: I hear that there's lots of great information out there somewhere on the World Wide Web, but

does a non-nerd like me find it? I don't have lots of time to play with the Net; I have a cleaning

business to run!

A: It sounds like you discovered one of the Internet's great paradoxes. Yes, there are an almost infinite

number of great information resources just waiting for you "out there somewhere".

Unfortunately, the key word in that sentence is somewhere — and the Internet is a very big place.

Finding the right resource is enough of a problem that it turned into an opportunity for some enterprising

Net nerds. Thanks to their efforts, the Net now offers quite a selection of tools for searching World Wide

Web sites, software libraries, and the network newsgroups.

The two basic types of World Wide Web search tools are directories and search engines.

A directory is a big index of Web sites. It's organized by topic, like the index in a book. You can either

browse the directory manually, looking here and there for things that pique your interest, or use the

directory's built-in search feature to build a list of sites that might match your interests.

Some of the popular general-purpose directories are Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.com), Alta Vista (http://

altavista.digital.com), Excite Netdirectory (http://www.excite.com), Point Communications (http://

www.pointcom.com), and Galaxy (http://galaxy.einet.net).

For more specific business-oriented searches, check out Linkstar (http://www.linkstar.com), the Nynex

Interactive Yellow Pages (http://www.niyp.com), the Virtual Yellow Pages (http://www.vyp.com), and one

simply called The Yellow Pages (http://theyellowpages.com).

The McKinley Magellan Internet Directory (http://magellan.mckinley.com) is a particularly good one for

businesspeople who moonlight as parents. With Magellan's Green Light setting, you can automatically

exclude sites with mature content that the kids (and some accountants) shouldn't see.

Web search engines only offer searches — they lack a directory's browsable topic list. Don't let that turn

you off, though, because the pure search engines are fast and flexible, with powerful options not available

in the general directory searches.

Most of the pure search engines support Boolean logic so you can look for this AND that, this OR that, and

this NOT that. Some support proximity searches which let you look for words occurring near each other

instead of next to each other.

My top picks for search engines are Excite (http://www.excite.com), InfoSeek Guide (http://

guide.infoseek.com), Opentext (http://www.opentext.com:8080), and the Webcrawler (http://

webcrawler.com).

The ultimate Web search tools are the metasearch engines. These tools simultaneously submit your query to

several of the search engines and compile the results for you. The big kahunas here are the All-in-One

75
Search Page (http://www.albany.net/allinone), Internet Sleuth (http://www.intbc.com/sleuth/sleuth.html),

and SavvySearch (http://guaraldi.cs.colostate.edu:2000/).

As you probably noticed soon after trying out the Web, there's always something new going on out there. If

you want to try and keep up with all the latest changes, make one of the what's new pages a regular stop on

your Net surfing journeys.

The recommendations in this category are New and Exciting Items on the Internet (http://www.lsu.edu/

~poli/newexci.html), What's New on Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.com/new), What's New Too (http://

newtoo.manifest.com), and Net-Happenings (http://www.midinet/NET).

When your attention turns to finding a useful shareware program or utility, use one of the file search systems. In the past, these tools made you search by program file name (which almost nobody ever knew), but

some new sites can search with a the description of the program you want.

The three sites to look at for the best in software are Shareware.Com (http://www.shareware.com),

FTPSearch (http://129.241.190.13/ftpsearch), and Jumbo (http://www.jumbo.com/Home_Page.html).

Jumbo gets special honors for its program descriptions, which make it easy to figure out if a particular

program will do what you want before you spend time downloading it.

If you want to scour the network newsgroups (or the USENET, as it's sometimes called), your options are a

little more limited. There are only a few systems that monitor the voluminous traffic in the newsgroups.

For the best results, try Dejanews (http://www.dejanews.com). It's devoted entirely to the network

newsgroups. While you're at it, give InfoSeek Guide a try (http://guide.infoseek.com). It covers both the

newsgroups and the World Wide Web, giving you a larger pool of possible resources.

Sending Files Through the Internet

By John Kaufeld, (July 1996)

Q: Another artist and I are working together on a project. Since she's on the west coast and I'm in the

midwest, it makes sense to share files via e-mail instead of overnighting disks back and forth. A friend

of mine said that you can't send files through the Internet — that the files get messed up. We tried it

anyway, but, sure enough, the graphic file arrived as a mess of letters and numbers. What happened?

Isn't there a way to attach files to e-mail messages?

A: Fear not — it is possible to send files through the Internet, provided you know how to do it. (Isn't that

how everything works?)

The Internet's e-mail system wasn't really designed to handle things like word processing documents,

graphic files, and databases. The folks who created it had a narrowly-defined goal: Create a way to move

text messages from computer to another.

The system they built worked just fine for a while, but it didn't take long before people wanted to share

more than just text — they wanted to send binary files along with their messages.

76
Binary files contain both plain text (known by the computer folks as ASCII text) and special codes that

aren't meant for human eyes. A word processing document, for instance, contains the text you type, plus a

horde of behind-the-scenes codes for things like fonts, text styles, margins, and so on.

Other common binary files include databases, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and scanned pictures.

So how do you send a binary file through a mail system that only understands text? By temporarily converting your binary file into text, that's how.

The conversion doesn't hurt your binary file at all, so there's no need to worry. Better still, your e-mail

software usually knows how to convert both outgoing files and incoming ones.

The most common conversion is known as MIME. That's an acronym (what a surprise!) for Multipurpose

Internet Mail Extensions. Eudora, Pegasus, and many other e-mail programs understand MIME.

Even America Online's e-mail system knows about MIME messages. It automatically translates file attachments without involving you at all.

In the Macintosh world, the popular binary-to-text conversion is called BinHex. It's not particularly better

or worse than MIME, just different. Many e-mail programs support it along with MIME.

The last way to attach files to Internet e-mail messages is with the somewhat senile UUencode system. This

is the oldest method of translating files for a trip through the e-mail system.

UUencode isn't used too often these days — MIME basically stole its thunder. If you communicate with

some of the more remote areas of the world, though, don't be surprised if e-mail messages arrive with

UUencoded attachments.

Translating a UUencoded file isn't any harder than MIME or BinHex. Good e-mail programs (America

Online included) understand UUencoded files just fine.

When sending a file to someone, your e-mail program will probably choose MIME encoding automatically

because it's the most commonly used format.

If the program offers you a choice among a variety of options, pick MIME. Finally, if you're sending a file

from one Macintosh to another, your best bet is either BinHex or MIME.

Of course, the best option is the one that both your e-mail program and your recipient's e-mail program

understands. When in doubt, start with MIME, but if that doesn't work, try your software's other options.

77
"Plug-Ins" for Web Browsers

By John Kaufeld, (September 1996)

Q: On my recent jaunts through the World Wide Web, I keep coming across sites that say I need this

or that "plug-in" to see what they offer. What are these plug-ins and where do I get them?

A: Just 18 months ago, we all thrilled at the sight of a simple color graphic on a Web page. It was new,

different, and exciting. Faced with the same page today, we yawn.

To keep the excitement up, the technology gurus constantly look for new things to do with the Web — new

experiences to keep us coming back. New technology, though, requires new software.

Since it isn't feasible for software companies to constantly release new Web browsers, Netscape (who make

the popular Navigator browser) came up with the plug-in idea.

A plug-in is a piece of software that adds some new feature to your Web browser. Although the technology

is young, plug-ins are supported in Netscape Navigator 2.02 and 3.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0.

Finding and installing various plug-ins isn't hard — after all, the browser makers want you to use them.

There's even a special page of the Netscape Web site (www.netscape.com) and the Microsoft Web site

(www.microsoft.com) dedicated to nothing but various plug-ins.

With so many options out there, though, it's tough to know which plug-ins you really need and which are

fluff. Three of my picks in the plug-in world are listed below. This is barely a scratch on the surface of

what's available, so be sure to check the Netscape and Microsoft Web sites for all of the details.

Remember that these plug-ins only work with the most popular Web browsers: Netscape Navigator 2.02

and 3.0, Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, and only a few others. If you aren't using one of these products,

then you can't use the plug-ins.

By the way, America Online and CompuServe customers have a browser built into their software, but

they're still able to use Navigator or Internet Explorer. Both products work just fine with connections from

these online services. For all the details, check the Internet area of your service.

Shockwave — Animation

Macromedia's Shockwave product fills the Web with animation and audio. Many sites include some

Shockwave animation these days. Companies like Living Books (www.livingbooks.com) and Intel

(www.intel.com) use Shockwave animation as integral parts of their Web sites.

To pick up a copy of the plug-in, go to www.macromedia.com/shockwave. With a 28,800BPS modem, it

takes about 10 minutes to download the plug-in file to your computer.

RealAudio — Sound

Sound on the Internet is the killer application of the day. Progressive Networks, the company behind the

RealAudio plug-in, is deep in the action. In fact, Internet World Magazine chose RealAudio as its Outstanding Software Product this year.

78
With RealAudio installed in your Web browser, you can experience real-time audio through the Web.

Whether your interest is news, business commentary, or even live radio, companies like ABC, NPR, the

Dow Jones Investor Network, and the Weather Channel bring it right to your computer.

Get a copy of the RealAudio plug-in at www.realaudio.com. With a 28,800BPS connection, the download

takes less than five minutes.

After installing the plug-in, fire up your browser and check out www.timecast.com, a new service that helps

you find RealAudio broadcasts all over the Net.

Enliven —Animation

Although Shockwave is the undisputed king of animation plug-ins today, there's still room for improvement. Enliven, from Narrative Communications, is the new up-and-comer in the field.

Despite the fact that it's still somewhat new, Enliven is stirring a lot of interest. If you're a die-hard Web

surfer, I'd recommend adding it to your plug-in arsenal. As of this writing, the product is in a late testing

stage, so you might want to wait until it gets into its final version before picking up a copy.

For a copy of Enliven, point your Web browser at www.narrative.com. Through a 28,800BPS modem,

expect to wait about five minutes for the software.

Bio Information

John Kaufeld is president of the Internet training and consulting firm Access Systems, Inc. A 1996 member

of the Indianapolis Business Journal's "Who's Who in Information Technology", Kaufeld speaks and trains

throughout the United States and Canada about the Internet and the online world. He is the author of eight

books, including "America Online for Dummies, 3rd Edition", "Access 97 for Windows for Dummies", and

"Internet Games for Dummies ". Kaufeld can be reached at (317) 578-0262 or via e-mail at

jkaufeld@aol.com.

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80
Appendix 3

Electronic Filing

and Disclosure:

Supplemental Reports

Digital Sunlight Progress Report #1

A Proposed Model Electronic Reporting Law

California Legislative Proposal: SB 49

81
By Kim Alexander,

with research assistance from Amy Howard

Published June 16, 1997, © California Voter Foundation, (reprinted with permission)

Are campaign contributions just a mouseclick away? In a growing number of places, the answer is yes.

Across the country, efforts are underway to provide the public with Internet access to political disclosure

records, such as campaign contributions and expenditures. While most jurisdictions already require public

disclosure of campaign finance data, these records are usually made available to the public in a paper

format at the filing agency's office.

"For a long time, when it came to public access to campaign finance records, citizens were forced to

struggle along a dusty paper trail," according to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, who is leading that

state's online disclosure efforts. "Despite instantaneous communications, such as the Internet and the

information superhighway, access to information about those who seek public office lagged behind, stuck in

the rut of paper files and manual retrievals," Ridge stated in a recent news release.

But that's rapidly changing, as more and more states experiment with electronic filing and other methods of

delivering data to filing agencies in a digital, rather than paper format, thereby allowing for immediate

publication on the Internet. Last week, in an historic vote, the California State Senate overwhelmingly

passed a bill that would require candidates and other filers to submit their records electronically, and require

the Secretary of State to publish the data on the Internet.

"Our current disclosure system is a technological dinosaur," complains California State Senator Betty

Karnette, a Long Beach Democrat and author of SB 49. "It is unbelievable that California, the computer

capital of the entire world, still relies on paper filings for campaign and lobbying reports."

• • • • •

Two decades ago, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, new laws were enacted across the country requiring

public disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures. It was hoped that public disclosure would

deter politicians from being unduly influenced by their political patrons. But since the 1970's, the cost of

campaigns has skyrocketed. In a typical California election season, campaigns will raise and spend around

$300 million, all of it disclosed to the public on half a million pieces of paper sitting in files at the Secretary

of State's office in Sacramento.

While the California Legislature considers mandatory electronic filing legislation, Secretary of State Bill

Jones, a Republican from Fresno, is moving forward with plans to implement a voluntary electronic filing

system for the 1998 election. "Our goal has been to give the people of California real and immediate access

to political campaign contribution and expenditure information," explains Jones, who is also a strong

supporter of SB 49 and mandatory electronic filing.
Jones, Karnette and Ridge are among a growing number of politicians leading efforts across the country to

shed digital sunlight on campaign finance practices by requiring digital disclosure and Internet publication

of campaign finance records. Though details of state plans may vary, they all promote a similar idea: give

the public timely, convenient and meaningful access to disclosure records.

• • • • •

The California Voter Foundation recently surveyed efforts underway in seven states to move from a paperbased filing system to a digital one:

Maryland — On May 22, Governor Parris Glendening signed a bill passed by the Maryland Legislature in

April that requires digital disclosure by statewide candidates beginning in 1997, and all other candidates by

1999. The legislation also requires the State Board of Elections to provide candidates with filing software.

Wisconsin — Governor Tommy Thompson's Blue Ribbon Commission on Campaign Finance Reform

released its final report last week which included the recommendations that electronic filing be required for

all statewide and legislative candidates who raise or spend $20,000 or more, and that the State Elections

Board provide technical training for candidates. In addition, several digital disclosure proposals are currently circulating in the Wisconsin State Legislature.

Pennsylvania — Governor Tom Ridge has been leading efforts to computerize Pennsylvania's campaign

finance data since 1996. Just last month, the Pennsylvania Legislature approved a $370,000 appropriation to

finance Ridge's plan, which calls for a combination of diskette filing and data entry to bring about online

disclosure.

Illinois — The Legislature recently passed a bill requiring that all disclosure reports be placed on the

Internet, and authorizing the use of electronic filing. The bill, which is currently on Governor Jim Edgar's

desk, would also eliminate a law that requires anyone who wants to view a disclosure report to first fill out

a form, called the D-3 form, providing their name, address, occupation and reason for looking at the report.

The bill would also do away with the requirement that the State Board of Elections notify politicians when

their reports have been viewed, and send them a copy of the viewer's D-3 form.

Virginia — The Virginia Legislature passed a bill earlier this year which was signed into law by Governor

George F. Allen directing the State Board of Elections to develop an electronic filing system by 1999. In the

meantime, a consortium of newspapers, working with a new non-profit organization called the Virginia

Public Access Project, has developed an Internet-accessible database. Ten of the eleven candidates running

in three statewide contests this year have voluntarily agreed to supply their contributions to the project on

diskette.

Indiana — Last month, Governor Frank O'Bannon signed a bill requiring the Indiana Election Commission to develop an electronic filing system and train candidates how to use it.

California — On June 4, the State Senate passed SB 49/Karnette, a bill that would require statewide

candidates who raise $100,000 or more to file their disclosure reports on diskette in 1998, and all other

candidates who raise $50,000 or more to file electronically by 2000. SB 49 also requires the Secretary of

State to publish the records on the Internet. The Senate passed SB 49 on a strong, bi-partisan vote of 31 - 7,

marking the first time that house voted for online disclosure and electronic filing. SB 49 now heads to the

Assembly for consideration, where a similar bill passed last year on a vote of 65-4. SB 49 is likely to be

taken up by the Assembly Elections Committee on June 30, 1997. In addition to these legislative efforts,

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California Secretary of State Bill Jones announced plans in April to establish a voluntary electronic filing

system for the 1998 election.

• • • • •

Meanwhile, 13 other states, along with the Federal Elections Commission and several local jurisdictions

including San Francisco, Seattle and New York City have already experimented with, or are in the process

of developing digital disclosure systems. Hawaii's new system, which allows candidates to file their reports

over the Internet, is considered by many to be one of the most sophisticated and successful programs in the

country.

But while there is growing support for electronic filing and online disclosure, many jurisdictions are finding

that moving from a paper system to a digital one is no easy task.

Often state election agencies lag behind the technology curve, and may not be adequately prepared to

produce web sites or manage digital records. Technical issues still need to be worked out to ensure that

agencies can authenticate digital records and to ensure that online data is secure from tampering. And while

many legislatures have authorized the development of digital disclosure systems some, like Illinois, have

not provided filing agencies with any funding to complete the job. Electronic filing also means the development of software or shareware that filers can use to comply with the new laws.

One issue that has arisen in California and that is likely to pop up elsewhere is privacy. The country's

disclosure laws were written long before the Internet existed. Government agencies will need to strike a

balance between the public's right to know and a donor's right to privacy. Omitting a donor's street address

from the online records, while retaining their city, state, zip code, occupation and employer data may

provide that balance.

• • • • •

Next month, representatives from more than a dozen states will gather in Chicago to consider how states

can work together to ease the transition into digital disclosure.

"We hope that the Chicago conference will mark the beginning of a long-term, collaborative effort," said

Bob Watada, director of Hawaii's Campaign Spending Commission and coordinator of the Chicago conference. "Every state is facing the same issues and questions as we move toward online disclosure. The Chicago conference will give us a chance to compare systems, avoid re-inventing the wheel, and learn from

each others' experiences."

The Chicago conference will also provide an opportunity for states to begin discussing a national standard

filing format, which, if developed and adopted, would allow for the integration of campaign finance data

across jurisdictional lines while also ensuring that candidates don't have to alter their record-keeping

practices when they run for offices in different jurisdictions.

Although there is still much work to be done before all of the nation's contribution records are brought into

the digital sunlight, a movement in that direction is clearly underway, as politicians across the country

respond to the public's appetite for better access to disclosure records.

The national movement is certainly aided by recent activities in California. Recognizing the Golden State's

tendency to be a "bellweather state" where new political movements sprout, a June 13th New York Times

editorial highlighted the importance of the California Senate vote, noting that "...having the country's

largest state in the fold would be a major step forward.... and may provide an incentive for other states that

have yet to go on line."

84
Digital sunlight is an issue that transcends partisan politics, and is a concept embraced by citizens, politicians and election agencies alike. At a time when there is much disagreement over how to best address the

issue of money in politics, there is at least a growing consensus that we can and should shine a brighter light

into the dark corners of campaign finance.

Kim Alexander is Executive Director of the California Voter Foundation, where she has produced and

directed several award-winning disclosure projects such as the San Francisco campaign finance database,

Late Contribution Watch, and the Digital Sunlight Web site. Since 1995, Alexander has participated in, and

monitored the development of an electronic filing system for California. This report is available for republication; please submit inquiries to <kimalex@netcom.com>.

More information about the movement toward online disclosure, as well as a hyperlinked version of this

news release, can be found at the Digital Sunlight Web site, <http://www.digitalsunlight.org>. Special

thanks to the Joyce Foundation and the Columbia Foundation for their support of CVF's efforts to promote

Internet access to political disclosure data.

A Proposed Model Electronic Reporting Law

Reprinted from "Campaign Money on the Information Highway: Electronic Filing and Disclosure of Campaign Finance Reports," published by the National Resource Center for State & Local Campaign Finance

Reform. See "Additional Resources for Internet Disclosure and Electronic Filing" in Chapter 9 for contact

information.

Article 1

FINDINGS AND PURPOSES

100. Title

This law shall be known as the [state] Electronic Reporting Act.

101. Findings and Declarations

The people find and declare each of the following:

(a) The intent of disclosure is to make information about the role of money in politics accessible to

the public.

(b) The volume of campaign finance reports submitted each year to the state renders it virtually

impossible, without the aid of computer technology, to derive meaningful conclusions from the records.

(c) Computer automation is a necessary and effective means of transmitting, organizing, storing and

retrieving vast amounts of data submitted by candidates in election campaigns.

(d) Many candidates already rely on computer technology for accounting and fundraising purposes

and requiring that these candidates and their committees submit their campaign finance data electronically

would pose no undue hardship to them.

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102. Purpose of This Act

The people enact this Act to accomplish the following purposes:

(a) To make the mass of campaign finance reports submitted to the state both accessible in a timely

fashion and intelligible to the public.

(b) To ease the burden on candidates, candidate committees, political committees and lobbyists of

tabulating, filing and maintaining public records of financial activity.

(c) To strengthen both the disclosure and enforcement capabilities of the [state elections and ethics

agencies].

(d) To cooperate in the standardization of reporting formats among states so that interstate as well as

intrastate sources of political money can be made known.

(e) To allow concerned persons easy and convenient access to the financial records of officeholders,

candidates, committees and lobbyists.

(f) To provide for a fully informed electorate.

(g) To help restore public trust in the governmental and electoral institutions of this state.

Article 2

DEFINITIONS

200. Interpretation of this Act

Unless the term is specifically defined in this Act or the contrary is stated or clearly appears from

the context, the definitions set forth in [insert relevant code] shall govern the interpretation of this Act.

201. Electronic Reporting

(a) "Electronic reporting" means the electronic process by which a candidate, committee, lobbyist

or lobbying firm or any other entity required to submit financial disclosure reports, compiles and transmits

these reports either via diskette or on-line to the state and the electronic process by which the state retrieves,

stores, analyzes and discloses the financial reports.

(b) "Filer" refers to any candidate, committee, lobbyist or lobbying firm and any other person or

group required to submit financial disclosure reports to the state.

(c) "Filer-side software" refers to software provided to or used by the filer that enables transmittal

of financial reports to the state agency.

(d) "Government-side software" refers to software used by the state in order to receive, store,

analyze and disclose to the public campaign finance data or financial activity submitted by filers.

(e) "Electronic reporting system" encompasses both filer-side software and government-side

software.

(f) "Electronic format" or "format" refers to the configuration by which the filing program organizes data. Format includes, but is not limited to, the type of computer operating system (also known as

"platform").

(g) "Encryption" is the process whereby electronic signatures are attached to reports such that the

identity of the filer is confirmed and cannot be falsified by unauthorized filers.

(h) A "home page" is the primary World Wide Web site from which other secondary Web sites may

be directly accessed. The home page for state governments is typically referred to as "the government

locator page."

86
Article 3

ELECTRONIC REPORTING

300. Development of an Electronic Reporting System

(a) The [state agency] shall develop an electronic reporting system for the submission, retrieval,

storage and public disclosure of campaign finance reports and financial activity statements required under

section [xxxxx] and is authorized to spend no more than [$x] for its development and no more than [$x]

annually for its maintenance.

(b) The [state agency] shall determine the electronic format in which campaign finance reports and

financial activity statements are to be submitted and may utilize the assistance of experts in the field, both

publicly and privately employed, or other interested parties in that determination.

(c) The [state agency] has the discretion to develop the electronic reporting system on its own or to

contract with private vendors to develop the system or to specify the format in which data is to be filed and to

permit the private sector to adapt its filing software to the required format.

(1) If the [state agency] contracts with a private vendor to develop the filer-side software, the

[state agency] shall not, under any circumstances, require filers to use that software.

(2) The electronic format of the electronic reporting system shall be public information in

order that additional private vendors have the opportunity to develop and to market competitive filer-side

software products that are compatible with the state's electronic reporting system.

(3) Any person who attempts to exclude a private vendor or vendors from the filer-side software market shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(d) The [state agency] further shall provide the public with electronic access to all campaign finance

data and financial activity statements submitted to the agency, electronically or otherwise, no later than [xx]

days after the filing is received. The [state agency] shall not charge any fee for electronic access to filer

financial activity records.

(1) The agency has the discretion to determine the most efficient means of providing electronic access to the financial activity data which shall include access through the largest nonproprietary,

nonprofit cooperative public computer network.

(2) Should the state government develop a "home page" or "government locator page" on

the World Wide Web, access to financial records submitted to the [state agency] shall be made available via

that Web site.

(e) The [state agency] shall develop encryption technology and other means of ensuring the integrity

of transmitted data which may be used by filers in lieu of a handwritten signature for verification purposes.

301. Implementation of an Electronic Reporting System

(a) Beginning January 1 of the next immediate election cycle following implementation of this Act,

all statewide candidates and political committees required to file campaign finance reports that receive or

spend [$$xx] or more in any calendar year either to support or oppose one or more candidates or support or

oppose one or more statewide ballot measures, shall file electronically.

(b) Beginning January 1 of the subsequent election cycle two years after implementation of this Act,

all state candidates and political committees required to file campaign finance reports that receive or spend

[$x] or more in any calendar year either to support or oppose one or more candidates or support or oppose

one or more statewide ballot measures, shall file electronically.

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(c) Lobbyists, lobbying firms, lobbyist employers and other persons required to file financial activity statements may file electronic reports on a voluntary basis during the first two election cycles following

implementation of this Act. Thereafter, electronic filing of these statements shall be mandatory.

(d) Filers specified in subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section shall also file paper-generated

reports and statements as a form of backup until such time that the [state agency] determines that filings

pursuant to the electronic filing system meet all pertinent filing and disclosure requirements.

(e) Local government agencies may enact their own electronic filing requirements, provided the

data entry format is compatible with that developed by the state.

Article 4

ENFORCEMENT

400. Enforcement

(a) Any attempt to submit reports under a false identity, or to alter data in transmission to the [state

agency] or received by the [state agency], shall be subject to the penalties prescribed by law for the falsification or tampering with financial disclosure records.

(b) The remedies provided in subdivision (a) shall also apply to any person who purposely causes

any other person to violate any provision of this Act or who aids and abets any other person in a violation.

(c) Any person residing in the state may sue for injunctive relief to enjoin violations or to compel

compliance with the provisions of this Act. If a judgment is entered against the defendant or defendants in

an action brought under this section, the plaintiff shall receive 50% of the amount recovered. The remaining

50% shall be deposited in the General Fund of the state. In an action brought by a local civil prosecutor,

50% shall be deposited in the account of the agency bringing the action and 50% shall be paid to the General Fund of the state.

***

California Legislative Proposal: SB 49

Legislative Counsel's Digest

SENATE BILL No. 49 (California)

Introduced by Senator Karnette

As amended in assembly August 7, 1997

SB 49, as amended, Karnette. Political Reform Act of 1974: Online disclosure.

Existing provisions of the Political Reform Act of 1974 require specified candidates for public office and

committees supporting or opposing candidates or ballot measures to periodically file reports with the

Secretary of State and certain local officials setting forth information concerning contributions they received

and expenditures they made during the specified reporting period. Existing provisions of the act also require

lobbyists, lobbying firms, and lobbyist employers to periodically file specified reports and statements with

the Secretary of State.
This bill would require the Secretary of State to develop a process whereby reports and statements that are

required under the act to be filed with the Secretary of State could be filed electronically and viewed by the

public at no cost and an online disclosure system by way of the largest nonproprietary, cooperative public

computer network.

This bill would establish timeframes within which the Secretary of State would be required to implement

this process and within which controlled committees of elected state officers that receive contributions, and

any other committees, lobbyists, lobbying firms, and lobbyist employers that file these reports and statements, must begin to file them electronically. The bill would require that the Secretary of State implement

its provisions statewide in connection with the state primary election in the year 2000.

This bill would permit committees that are not required to file electronically to do so.

This bill would require the Secretary of State to define a standardized record format or formats for transmission of data required to be filed by this bill, certify computer software that complies accept test files from

vendors to ensure compliance and compatibility with these formats, and publish a list of the certified

vendors to be made available to the public.

This bill would require that persons who are subject to these electronic filing requirements must continue to

file paper copies of these reports and statements as currently required under the act until the Secretary of

State is satisfied with the performance of the electronic filing system. The bill would require that all persons and committees required to file reports in connection with a statewide elective office or ballot

measure appearing on the November 1998 ballot submit, in addition to a filing on paper, a computer disk in

an approved format, unless they file electronically.

This bill would not require local officials who also receive filings of these reports and statements to maintain a similar electronic filing system, but would impose a state-mandated local program by requiring

county elections officials to receive this information from the Secretary of State.

The bill would provide, pursuant to a specified provision of existing law, that no employee or official of a

state or local government agency shall utilize, for political or campaign purposes, public facilities or resources to retrieve or maintain any of the data produced pursuant to the bill.

This bill would appropriate the sum of $1,100,000 to the Secretary of State for the purposes of developing

the electronic reporting system and reimbursing local agencies for any costs they incur in the development

of the system.

Existing law makes a violation of the act subject to administrative, civil, and criminal penalties.

This bill would impose a state-mandated local program by imposing these penalties on certain persons who

violate the provisions of the bill.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain

costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, except as provided in this act, no reimbursement is required by this act for

specified reasons.

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The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to

further the act's purposes with a 2 /3 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements.

This bill, which would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act, would therefore require a 2/3 vote.

The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

90
Appendix 4

Internet Use Agreements

As government use of the Internet grows, so too do efforts to regulate its use among governmental

employees. On the two pages that follow are employee agreements from the State of Indiana and

from the City of Los Angeles.

The underlying Internet policies from these jurisdictions can be found on the World Wide Web:

Indiana: http://www.state.in.us/dpoc/dpochtml

Los Angeles: http://www.ci.la.ca.us/policy/intpolgu.htm

For additional information on Internet policies, see the article in Government Technology entitled:

"How to Develop an Internet Use Policy" in the June 1997 issue (page 32). Also see http://

www.govtech.net.

91
EMPLOYEE USE AGREEMENT FOR

STATE PROVIDED INTERNET SERVICE

State Form 48023 (9-96)

You are being asked to read and sign the agreement below which describes your responsibilities

regarding the use of the Internet..

1. I acknowledge that the State of Indiana has provided me with Internet service (the "Service") in

order for me to execute my responsibilities as a state government employee.

2. I understand that the Service is to be used strictly to conduct state government business, and to

be used in a manner consistent with my specific job responsibilities and in accordance with the policies

in effect in my agency, and that the service is not to be used for personal or non-official purposes.

3. I will not engage in unauthorized access or jeopardize security, and I will not permit others to use

the service which the state has provided me.

4. If uncertain whether an activity is permissible, I will refrain from the activity and secure clarification

of the activity before proceeding.

5. I am aware that my inappropriate use of the Service could result in disciplinary action being taken

against me. Such action could result in my termination from state employment. I am also aware that

the state retains the right to pursue prosecution when misuse of its information and computing resources

is suspected to be in violation of law.

6. I understand that all information I place on or retrieve from the Service, including my e-mail

account and the facilities of the worldwide Internet, may be subject to the Access to Public Records Act.

Indiana Code 5-14-3. Unless exempted by law, information placed on or retrieved from the Internet is

a public record and, therefore, eligible for public disclosure.

7. I acknowledge that the state has the right to monitor my use of the Service, including communications

occurring through it.
Los Angeles Internet Use Agreement

INTERNET POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

I have read and reviewed the Internet Policies and Guidelines (Guide). By signing this form, I agree to

abide by the Guidelines currently in place and I agree to review periodically any changes or modifications. I

recognize that the law and associated policy regarding the use of Internet, electronic mail and the City's

information systems are continually evolving. Therefore, I understand that my regular review of policy is

required. I understand updates to the policies and guidelines will be available on the City's main Web page

(http://www.ci.la.ca.us/policy/) and the Information Technology Agency's Intranet Pages (http://ita/policy/).

I also understand that both should be included in my browser bookmark lists for easy reference.
94
Appendix 5

Listservs & Internet

Mailing Lists

Listservs and Mailing Lists are mechanisms that enable Internet users to e-mail a message to one

address and have it delivered quickly and automatically to all subscribers to that list. People may

reply in the same manner, enabling a quick, informal "discussion" via e-mail. Mailing groups are

organized around a myriad of topics. This appendix includes mailing lists organized around issues

of interest to election and disclosure officials.

95
ElecNet List

ELECnet is an electronic mailing list established to serve the needs of election administrators and other individuals interested in electoral policy. It is open to the public. The list administrator is Edward P. Packard, an

election official in the Alabama Secretary of State's office. It is hosted through the courtesy of the Political

Science Department of Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).

To subscribe, send an e-mail message to the following address:

listserv @ listserv.iupui.edu

The first line of your message should read the following text ONLY:

subscribe elecnet firstname lastname

You should substitute your first and last names in the appropriate places.

If you have problems subscribing, or just have questions about the list, address them to:

epackard @ champion.iupui.edu

LEAT List

LEAT (Local Government Elections and Technology) is a moderated list for administrative issues relating to

local government election administration and technology commerce and is sponsored by the International

Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC). Although a moderated list (meaning that posted messages must first be

accepted by a designee), most messages to this list are approved since the format is fairly informal.

Approved messages will also be cross-posted to the newsgroup: <gov.us.nat.local-elections>. Those without

access to newsreaders can still read newsgroup messages on either the financenet Web or gopher sites: <http:/

/www.financenet.gov/discuss.htm> or <gopher.financenet.gov>.

To subscribe to LEAT, address an e-mail message to: <listproc@financenet.gov>.

In the body of the mail message, type:

subscribe leat your name

An example: subscribe leat John Doe

The list's owners can be reached at <brich@nsf.gov> or <dsivagna@nsf.gov>. You should contact them if

there are any problems.

NASED List

The NASED list is a closed list for state election directors and their designees. Members of NASED (National

Association of State Election Directors) should request information about this listserv from the NASED secretariat: the Washington, D.C. office of the Council of State Governments, 444 North Capitol Street, Washington, DC 20001, 202-624-5460.

96
Gov-Ethics List

The Gov-Ethics listserv a forum for discussion of governmental ethics issues. Gov-Ethics provides subscribers with a means of sharing information on problems, statutes, procedures, proposals, litigation and

other matters of interest to governmental ethics officials. The listserv is owned by the Indiana State Ethics

Commission (in cooperation with the Access Indiana Information Network) and is unmoderated. If you

have problems subscribing, or just have questions about the list, address them to David Maidenberg

<maidenberg @ iques t.net>.

To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: <majordomo@ai.org>. In the body of the message (not the subject

line), write:

subscribe gov-ethics

CVFV'e-filing"

The California Voter Foundation has established an electronic discussion list, called "e-filing," designed to

help those working on electronic filing in various jurisdictions and learn from one another's experiences. To

subscribe, send an email message to: <majordomo@igc.org>.

Leave the subject line blank, and in the body of the message type:

subscribe e-filing yourfirstname yourlastname

For example, if Governor Pete Wilson wanted to subscribe, he would type:

subscribe e-filing Pete Wilson

The e-filing discussion list is managed and maintained by Kim Alexander. All subscriptions are subject to

approval. For further information contact Kim at <kimalex@netcom.com>.

CVF-News

Unlike the other lists in this section, CVF-News is an e-mail newsletter, not a discussion group. It features

news and updates about the California Voter Foundation's projects, Web sites, and California election news.

To be added to the distribution list, send an email message to: <cvf@netcom.com>.

97
98
Appendix 6

Directory of Web Sites

For Election Agencies

This directory lists Web sites for State and local election offices. Where the office has divisions, the

Election Division is generally the target of the listed URL. Also included, at the end, is a section of

Web sites for organizations that may be of interest to election administrators. Although attempts

were made to be as inclusive as possible, no doubt many offices were missed. Also be aware that

Web site URLs are sometimes subject to change for various reasons.

There are a number of ways to find other (and future) agency Web sites. For county agencies, locate

the county government home page perhaps through the National Association of Counties at <http:/

/www.naco.org/links/counties.htm>. Also try the ElecNet Election Administration Resources Web

site at <http://www.iupui.edu/~epackard/eledink.html>.

Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

Alabama

Secretary of State's Office

Alaska

Ofc of Lt. Gov.-Div. of Elections

Public Offices Commission

Ariz na

Secretary of State's Office

Arkansas

Secretary of State's Office

California

State Links:

Secretary of State's Office

Secretary of State/Digital Eq. Gopher

Fair Political Practices Commission

County & City Links:

Alameda Co. Registrar of Voters

Butte Co. Elections Dept.

El Dorado County Elections Dept.

Los Angeles City Ethics Commission

Los Angeles Co. Registrar of Voters

Marin County Registrar of Voters

Monterey County Registrar of Voters

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.alalinc.net/alsecst

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/homepage.html

http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/ADMIN/apoc

http://www.sosaz.com/elections.htm

http://sos.state.ar.us/elections/elections.html

http://www.ss.ca.gov

gopher://gopher.elections.ca.gov

http://infra1 .dgs.ca.gov/fppc

http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/rov.html

http://elections.co.butte.ca.us/Elections/ElectionsHomePage.htm

http://spider.innercite.com/~edced

http://www.ci.la.ca.us/dept/ETH

http://www.co.la.ca.us/ROVELEC/main.htm

http://marin.org/mc/clerk/elections

http://tmx.com/monterey

Web Direct ry Page Web-1 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

San Bernardino County

San Diego (City of): Elections

San Francisco City & Co. Elections

San Francisco Ethics Commission

San Mateo County Registrar of Voters

Santa Clara Registrar of Voters

Santa Cruz Co. Elections Dept.

Tulare County Registrar's Office

Yolo County Clerk's Election Page

Colorad

Secretary of State's Office

Boulder Co. Clerk & Recorder

Pueblo Co. Election Information

Connecticut

Sec'y of State's Election Services Div.

Conn. Election & Voting Info (CSU)

Delaware

Department of Elections

D.C.

D.C. Home Page

Florida

Secretary of State: Div of Elections

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/rov

http://www.sannet.gov/city-clerk/election.html

http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/election

http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/ethics

http://www.care.co.sanmateo.ca.us/elections.shtml

http://CLARAWEB.CO.Santa-Clara.CA.US/rov/rov.htm

http://www.cruzio.com/~countysc/ele/election.htm

http://tmx.com/tulare

http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/GO/Election

http://www.state.co. us/gov_dir/sos/index.html

http://www.boco.co.gov/clerk.html

http://www.pueblo.org/clerk

http://www.state.ct.us/sots/elect.htm

http://www.ctstateu.edu/state/election/election.html

http://www.state.de.us/govern/agencies/election/welcome.htm

http://www.ci.washington.dc.us/index.htm

http://election.dos.state.fl.us

Web Dir ct ry Page Web-2 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

also see Florida Elections Online

Aiachua Co. Supervisor of Elections

Brevand County Supervisor of Elections

Duval County Supervisor of Elections

Hillsborough County Sup. Of Elections

Metro-Dade Co. Sup. of Elections

Orange Co. Supervisor Of Elections

Web Site Location (URL):

http://election.dos.state.fl.us/online/index.htm

http://www.co.alachua.fl.us/~supvelec/elecs.html

http://www.brev.lib.fl.us/elections

http://www.jis.com/elections/netbrow.htm

http://www.votehillsborough.org/

http://elections.metro-dade.com

http://www.ocfelections.com

Note: All Florida Counties are provided with Web sites by their Secretary of State's office. These may

be found at

Georgia

Secretary of State

State Ethics Commission

Hawaii

Office of Elections

Campaign Spending Commission

Idaho

Secretary of State's Elections Div.

Illinois

State Board of Elections

Aurora Election Commission

Chicago Bd. of Election Comm.

Cook County Clerk

http://election.dos.state.fl.us/county/cntyidx.htm

http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections

http://rampages.onramp.net/~gaethics

http://www.hawaii.gov/elections

http://www.hawaii.gov/campaign

http://www.idsos.state.id.us/elect/eleindex.htm

http://www.state.il.us/election

http://www.aocn.aurora.edu/coa/mayor/elec.html

http://www.chicagoelections.com

http://www.cookctyclerk.com/system/cookserv. html#elections

Web Directory Page Web-3 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

Rockford Board of Election Comm.

Indiana

_

Indiana Election Commission

State Ethics Commission

Marion County Election Board

Iowa

Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board

Secretary of State's Office

Johnson County Auditor

Kansas

Governmental Standards & Conduct

Secretary of State Elections Division

Johnson Co. Election Office

Kentucky

Registry of Election Finance

State Board of Elections

Louisiana

Secretary of State's Office

Maine

Secretary of State Elections Division

Maryland

State Administrv Board of Elections

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.inwave.com/election

http://www.ai.org/seb

http://www.ai.org/ethics

http://www.ci.indianapolis.in.us/mclk/election.htm

http://www.state.ia.us/government/ecdb

http://www.sos.state.ia.us

http://www.jccn.iowa-city.ia.us/~auditor

www.ink.org/public/gsc

http://www.ink.org/public/sos/elewelc.html

http://www.jocoelection.org

http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/kref/krefhome.htm

http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/sbe/sbehome.htm

http://www.sec.state.la.us/elect-1.htm

http://www.state.me.us/sos/cec/elec/elec.htm

http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/sabel

W b Directory Page Web-4 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

Allegany Co.

Baltimore County Sup. Of Elections

Frederick County

Howard County Board of Elections

Montgomery Co. Bd. of Elections

Prince George's Co. Bd. of Elections

Washington Co. Bd. of Sup. of Elections

Massachusetts

Secretary of State Elections Division

Cambridge (City of) Election Comm.

Michigan

Secretary of State Bureau of Elections

Minnesota

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.alle.lib.md.us/allgov/election.html

http://www.co.ba.md.us/bacoweb/services/elections/html/elechome.htm

http://www.co.frederick.md.us/govt/voting.html

http://www.softaid.net/nbenz/voting.html

http://www.co.mo.md.us/services/elections

http://www.co.pg.md.us/election

http://198.76.236.5/washco/elect.html

http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/sec/ele

http://www.ci.Cambridge.ma.us/city_hall/elec.html

http://www.sos.state.mi.us/election/elect.html

Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (formerly Ethical Practices Board)— http://www.epb.state.mn.us

Secretary of State

Plymouth (City of)

Mississippi

Secretary of State

Missouri

Secretary of State

St. Louis Co. Bd. of Election Comm.

Montana

http://www.sos.state.mn.us

http://www.ci.Plymouth.mn.us/city_services/elections/elections_index.html

http://www.sos.state.ms.us

http://mosl.sos.state.mo.us

http://www.st-louis.mo.us/st-louis/county/government/vote.html

Web Direct ry Page Web-5 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

Secretary of State

Nebra ka

Secretary of State Election Adm.

Lancaster Co. Election Commissioner

Nevada

Secretary of State

Clark County (Las Vegas)

New Hampshire

State Home Page

New Jersey

Dept. of State Elections Division

Election Law Enforcement Commission

Camden County Clerk's Office

Ocean County

New Mexico

Secretary of State Bur. of Elections

Secretary of State Ethics Div.

New York

New York City Campaign Fine. Board

State Board of Elections

Cortland County Board of Elections

Tompkins County Board of Elections

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.mt.gov/sos/election.htm

http://www.nol.org/home/SOS/election.htm

http://inter1inc.ci.lincoln.ne.us/lnterLinc/cnty/election

http://jvm.com/sos/HTML/pagetwo.shtml

http://www.co.clark.nv.us/election/elecindx.htm

http://www.state.nh.us/

http://www.state.nj.us/state/election/electidx.html

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/elec

http://www.co.camden.nj.us/clerk.htm

http://204.141.122.24/election.htm

http://www.sos.state.nm.us/elect.htm

http://web.state.nm.us/ethics.htm

http://www.cfb.nyc.ny.us

http://www.elections.state.ny.us

http://zeus.odyssey.net/cc_boe

http://owasco.co.tompkins.ny.us/boe

Web Direct ry Page Web-6 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

North Carolina

State Board of Elections

Cabarrus County Board of Elections

Durham County Board of Elections

Forsyth County Board of Elections

Mecklenburg Co. Board of Elections

Wake County Board of Elections

North Dakota

State Home Page

Ohio

Secretary of State

Lucas County

Wood County

Oklahoma

Ethics Commission

State Election Board

Oregon

Secretary of State

Clackamas County Election Division

Lane County Elections Office

Multnomah County Elections Division

Washington County Elections Div.

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/SBOE

http://www.co.cabarrus.nc.us/pages/boe.htmWEIections

http://www.co.durham.nc.us/elections

http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/boe/boe.htm

http://www.charweb.org/govemment/meckboe

http://wakecounty.state.nc.us/depts/BordElec/boe_hp.htm

http://www.state.nd.us

http://www.state.oh.us/sos

http://www.election.lucas.oh.us

http://www.wcnet.org/gov/boe

http://www.state.ok.us/~ethics

http://www.state.ok.us/~elections

http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/elechp.htm

http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/clerk/elections

http://www.co.lane.or.us/Elections/default.htm

http://www.multnomah.lib.or.us/elect

http://www.co.washington.or.us/deptmts/at/election/ELECTION.HTM

W b Directory Page Web-7 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

Yamhill Co. Clerk (McMinnville)

Pennsylvania

jDept. of State Bureau of Elections

Rhode Island

Secretary of State: Elections Menu

Board of Elections

South Carolina

State Election Commission

South Dakota

Secretary of State

Tennessee

Dept. of State - Div of Elections

Anderson Co. Election Commission

Davidson Co. Election Comm. (Nashville)

Texas

Ethics Commission

Secretary of State

Denton County Election Office

Harris Co.(Houston) Clerk/Elections

Utah

Lt. Governor's Office Elections Div.

Vermont

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.co.yamhill.or.us/clerk

http://www.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/State/index.htm

http://www.sec.state.ri.us/submenus/rielclnk.htm

http://www.sec.state.ri.us/stdept/sd9.htm

http://www.state.sc.us/scsec

http://www.state.sd.us/state/executive/sos/sos.htm

http://www.state.tn.us/sos/election.htm

http://www.acelect.com

http://janis.nashville.org/dcec.html

http://www.ethics.state.tx.us

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/function/eled

http://www.co.denton.tx.us/election

http://www.co.harris.tx.us/cclerk/ELECT.HTM

http://www.gvnfo.state.ut.us/lt_gover/election.htm

WebDir ct ry Pag Web-8 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

Secretary of State

Virginia

State home page

Chesterfield Co. Electoral Board

Henrico Co. Ofc of the Gen'l Registrar

Roanoke Co. Voter Registration

York County Voter Registration

Washington

Secretary of State

Public Disclosure Commission

King Co. Records & Elections Div.

King Co. Board of Ethics

Kitsap Co. Auditor (Port Orchard)

Seattle Ethics & Elections Comm.

Snohomish County Auditor's Office

Spokane Co. Elections

Thurston Co. Auditor (Olympia)

Yakima Co. Elections Dept.

West Virginia

State Election Commission

Wisconsin

State Home Page

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.sec.state.vt.us

http://www.state.va.us

http://co.chesterfield.va.us/registrar/genreg.htm

http://ns1.co.henrico.va.us/registrar/votreg.htm

http://www.co.roanoke.va.us/election/webpg.htm

http://www.co.york.va.us/voting

http://www.wa.gov/sec

http://www.washington.edu/pdc

http://www.metrokc.gov/elections

http://www.metrokc.gov/ethics

http://www.wa.gov/kitsap/departments/auditor

http://www.pan.ci.seattle.wa.us/~seec

http://www.accessone.com/~snocoaud/election.html

http://www.spokanecounty.org/elections

http://www.halcyon.com/thurston/auditor/election/election.htm

http://www.pan.co.yakima.wa.us/auditor/election/election.htm

http://www.state.wv.us/sec

http://www.state.wi.us

Web Direct ry Page Web-9 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

Green Bay City Clerk

Wyoming

Secretary of State

Canada

Elections Canada

Elections British Columbia

Organizations & Other Sites

California Voter Foundation

Citizen's Guide to the NVRA (LWV-EF)

COGEL

Council of State Governments

Digital Sunlight

ELECnet Election Resource Page

Federal Election Commission

Federal Voting Assistance Program

Govt ethics links (via Legalethics.com)

Human Serve

IACREOT

Inst. For Democracy and Electoral Asstc (IDEA)

International election links (via IFES)

International election links (via Klipsan Press)

Int'l Foundation for Election Systems (IFES)

Int'l Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC)

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.ci.green-bay.wi.us/clerk

http://soswy.state.wy.us/election/election.htm

http://www.elections.ca

http://www.elections.bc.ca

http://www. webcom. com/cvf

http://lwvia.cornell-iowa.edu/National/EduFund/VoterAct/TOC.html

http://www.cogel.org

http://www.csg.org

http://www.digitalsunlight.org

http://www.iupui.edu/~epackard/eleclink.html

http://www.fec.gov

http://www.fvap.gov

http://www.legalethics.com/govt.htm

http://www.igc.apc.org/humanserve

http://www.iacreot.com

http://www.lnt-idea.se

http://www.ifes.org/links.htm

http://www.klipsan.com/ttagency

http://www.ifes.org

http://www.financenet.gov/financenet/state/iimc/iimc.htm

Web Directory PageWeb-10 Appendix 6
Directory of World Wide Web Sites for Election Offices

Jurisdiction

Kids Voting USA

Klipsan Press (Election news, et al)

League of Women Voters

National Assoc. of Secretaries of State

NCSL Elections & Reapportionment Page

Project Vote Smart

Rock the Vote

State and Local Govt indices (Libr of Cong.)

US Census Bureau: Voting

Web Site Location (URL):

http://www.kidsvotingusa.org

http://www. klipsan .com

http://www.lwv.org/~lwvus

http://www.nass.org

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legman/elect/elecrpt.htm

http://www.vote-smart.org

http://www.rockthevote.org

http://lcweb.loc.gov/global/state/stategov.html

http://www.census.gov/ftp/pub/population/www/socdemo/voting.html

Appendix 7

E-Mail Directory for

Election Offices and

Officials

This directory lists e-mail addresses for election agencies and personnel. Also included, at the end,

is a section of e-mail addresses for organizations and individuals that work in election administration. Although attempts were made to be as inclusive as possible, no doubt many addresses were

missed. Hopefully this directory will be just one of many such directories to be compiled to enhance

use of the Internet in election administration. Also, be aware that e-mail addresses are subject to

change for various reasons.

Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Alabama

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

Alaska

Lt. Governor's Office

Fran Ulmer

DIVISION OF ELECTIONS:

Sandra J. Stout

Barbara Whiting

Gail Fenumiai

Dana LaTour

Ann Daniels

Pamela J. Crowe

Carol Thompson

Shelly Growden

Monica Giang

Public Offices Commission

Karen Boorman

Gary Granquist

Christina Ellingson

Nancy Freeman

Brooke Miles

Lt. Governor

Director

Election Coordinator

Election Programs Specialist

Administrative Officer

Programmer

Election Sup. - SE - Juneau

Election Sup. - SC - Anchorage

Election Sup. - Cen. - Fairbanks

(Acting) Election Sup. - NW - Nome

Executive Director

Research Analyst

Paralegal Assistant

Paralegal Assistant

Administrator, Juneau Branch

alsecst@aol.com

Fran_Ulmer@Gov.state.ak.us

sandi_stout@gov.state.ak.us

barb_whiting@gov.state.ak.us

gail_fenumiai@gov.state.ak.us

dana_latour@gov.state.ak.us

ann_daniels@gov.state.ak.us

pam_crowe@gov.state.ak.us

carol_thompson@gov.state.ak.us

shelly_growden@gov.state.ak.us

monica_giang@gov.state.ak.us

karen_boorman@admin.state.ak.us

Greg_Granquist@admin.state.ak.us

chris_ellingson@admin.state.ak.us

Nancy_Freeman@admin.state. ak.us

Brooke_Miles@admin.state.ak.us

E-mail Directory Page EM-1 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Arizona

Secretary of State's Office

Jane Dee Hull

Gila County

Linda Haught Ortega

Arkansas

Seer tary of State's Office

Sharon Priest

California

Secretary of State's Office

Bill Jones

ELECTIONS DIVISION:

Rob Lapsley

Vickie Glaser

Alfie Charles

John Mott-Smith

Caren Daniels-Meade

Secretary of State

County Recorder

Secretary of State

Secretary of State

Undersecretary of State

Legislative Director

Deputy Media Director

Chief of Elections

Program Mgr for Cdates & Elections

POLITICAL REFORM DIVISION:

David A. Hulse

Alameda County

Brad Clark

Butte County Election Office—

Ed Dorado County Election Offn

Political Reform Specialist

Registrar of Voters

jhull@mail.sosaz.com

lindao@gila.net

Sharon_Priest@CCM1 .STATE.AR.US

bjones@ss.ca.gov

rlapsley@ss.ca.gov

vglaser@ss.ca.gov

acharles@ss.ca.gov

jmsmith@ss.ca.gov

cdaniels@ss.ca.gov

dhulse@ss.ca.gov

reg2vote@aol.com

elections@co.butte.ca.us

edced@el-dorado.ca.us

E-mail Directory Page EM-2 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

L s Angeles City Ethics C mmissi n

Office e-mail address

Rebecca Avila

LeeAnn M. Pelham

Barbara Freeman

Ray Uyemura

Executive Director

Deputy Director

Senior Analyst

Systems Analyst II

L s Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk

Conny McCormack

Marin County Registrar of Voters

Monterey County Registrar of Vc

Newport Beach (City of)

LaVonne Harkless

Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk

»t**rt .,.,..,.1, ......... .

City Clerk

San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters

Sain ni*»nn (Clitv Pl*»rlr'^ Clffirt*\————— - ........

San Francisco Dept. of Elections

San Francisco Ethics Commission

San Mateo County Elections Dep

Santa Barbara County Elections Dent

Santa Cruz County Elections Department

Stanislaus County Elections Dep

Tu umne County Elections Depc

Y 1

a rtmr* nt——.. .. ........

irtrnpnt—...-->..-— n •,. mi ......... .

Cnnntv f*l*»rlt'<s Dffirp—......—...•————— .„..-_—--—.......--

cec@ethics.ci.la.ca.us

ravila@ethics.ci.la.ca.us

lpelham@ethics.ci.la.ca.us

bfreeman@ethics.ci.la.ca.us

ruyemura@ethics.ci.la.ca.us

cmccorma@eagle.co.la.ca.us

hhanson@marin.org

mocovote@redshift.com

lharkles@city.newport-beach.ca.us

igonzales@co.san-bernardino.ca.us

infoi @ sdcity.sannet.gov

sfrov2@sirius.com

ethics_commission@ci.sf.ca.us

wslocum@care.co.sanmateo.ca.us

pettit@sbarbara.mhs.compuserve.com

scruza.rcdi 10@hw1 .cahwnet.gov

stancorec@aol.com

tuolelec@mlode.com

cntyclrk@dcn.davis.ca.us

E-mail Dire tory Page EM-3 App ndlx 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

C lorad

Seer tary f State's Office

Office e-mail address

Boulder County Clerk & Recorder

Charlotte Houston

Nancy Jo Wuri

Conn cticut

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

Delaware

Department of Elections

Thomas J. Cook

District of Columbia

Antonio Laso

Florida

—

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

County Clerk & Recorder

Elections Office Manager

Commissioner of Elections

Webmaster

Alachua County Supervisor of Elections

Office e-mail address

Brevard County Supervisor of Elections

Fred Galey

Lee White

Supervisor of Elections

Systems Manager

Duval County Supervisor of Elections

Office e-mail address

sos.admin1@state.co.us

cjhcr@boco.co.gov

njwcr@boco.co.gov

peter.bartucca@po.state.ct.us

tomcook@state.de. us

alaso@dclink.com

doe@mail.dos.state.fi.us

supveiec@ns1 .co.alachua.fi. us

fgaley@manatee.brev.lib.fl.us

lwhite@manatee.brev.lib.fl.us

duvelect@jax-inter.net

E-mail Directory Page EM-4 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Hillsb r ugh C unty Supervisor f Elections

Office e-mail address

Metr -Dade County Supervisor of Elections

Office e-mail address

Orange County

Bill Cowles Supervisor of Elections

Pasc County Supervisor of Elections Office

Kurt S. Browning

Pinellas County

Donna Daloisio

Georgia

Secretary of State's Office

Linda Beazley

Office e-mail address

State Ethics Commission

Office e-mail address

Hawaii

Office of Elections

Dwayne D. Yoshina

Supervisor of Elections

Elections Data Center Manager

Director, Elections Division

Chief Election Officer

Campaign Spending Commission

Office e-mail address

Idaho

Secretary f State's Office

Pete Cenarrusa Secretary of State

info@votehillsborough.org

tov@itd. metro-dade. com

main_office@ocfelections.com

kbrowning@poboxes.com

ddaloisio@compuserve.com

lbeazley@sos.state.ga.us

sosweb@sos.state.ga.us

gaethics@onramp.net

elections@aloha.net

csc@pixi.net

secstate@ idsos. state. id. us

E-mail Dire t ry Page EM-5 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Ben Ysursa

Penny Ysursa

Marilyn Johnson

Pat Herman

Office e-mail address

Kootenai County

Chief Deputy

Elections Division

Elections Division

Elections Division

County Clerk-Elections Office

Illinois

State Board of Elections

Ron Michaelson

Dan White

Yvonne Smith

Dan Hagan

Don Schultz

Pat Freeman

Dianne Felts

Barbara Mason

Joe McFadden

Al Zimmer

Executive Director

Asst. Executive Director

Asst. Executive Director

Dir., Legislative Affairs

Dir., Election Operations

Dir., Election Information

Dir., Voting Systems

Dir., Campaign Disclosure

Dir., Support Services

General Counsel

Chicago Board of Election Commissioners

Lance Gough

Office e-mail address

Executive Director

Rockford Board of Election Commissioners

Office e-mail address

bysursa@idsos.state.id.us

pysursa@idsos.state.id.us

mjohnson@idsos.state, id. us

pherman@idsos.state, id. us

elections@idsos.state.id.us

dane@nidlink.com

rmichael@sbeO84r1 .state.il.us

dwhite@sbeO84r1 .state.il.us

ysmith@sbeO84r1 .state.il.us

dhagan@sbeO84r1 .state.il.us

dschultz@sbeO84r1 .state.il. us

pfreeman@sbeO84r1 .state.il.us

dfelts@sbeO84r1 .state.il.us

bmason@sbe084r1 .state.il.us

jmcfadde@sbeO84r1 .state.il.us

azimmer@sbeO84r1 .state.il.us

lgough@earthlink.net

cboe@earthlink.net

election@inwave.com

E-mail Direct ry Page EM-6 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Indiana

El ction Division, Secretary of State

Laurie Christie

Mary Ann Tippett

Ethics Commission

Iowa

David Maidenberg

Office e-mail address

Co-Director

Co-Director

Director

Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board

Karen Hansen

Office of Sec'y of State

Carol Olson

Office e-mail address

Johnson County

Tom Slockett

Kansas

Systems Administrator

Deputy Secretary of State

Johnson County Auditor

G v mmental Standards & Conduct

Carol Williams

W. Charles Smithson

Janet Williams

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

Brad Bryant

Johnson County Election Office

Executive Director

Attorney

Campaign Statistics

Dep. Asst. Sec. of State

lchristie@iec.state. in. us

mtippett@iec.state.in.us

maidenberg@iquest.net

ethics@iquest.net

khansen@max.state.ia.us

carol@sos.state.ia.us

sos@sos.state.ia.us

auditor@pobox.com

eth ics@ kspress. com

legal@kspress.com

stanconO@ink.org

kssos@ssmail.wpo.state.ks.us

bradb@ssmail.wpo.state.ks.us

E-mail Direct ry Page EM-7 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Connie Schmidt County Election Commissioner

Marco Segura & Gloria Barnhart, Homepage Dev't Team

Kentucky

Registry of Election Finance

George Russell

Stephen Smith

State Board of Elections

George Russell

Louisiana

Secretary of State's Office

Wade Martin

Maine

Secretary of State's Office

Dan A. Gwadosky

Nancy Kelleher

Julie Flynn

Denise Garland

Maryland

Executive Director

Information Systems Mgr

Executive Director

Administrator, Elections Div.

Secretary of State

Dep. Secretary of State

Election Director

Asst. Election Director

State Administrative Board of Elections

Tim Augustine Deputy Administrator

Montgomery Co. Board of Elections

Carol S. Evans

Sara Harris

Stuart Harvey

Elections Administrator

Election Operations Manager

Administrative Specialist

75017.13@compuserve.com

election@jocoelection.org

grussell@mail.state.ky.us

ssmithi @mail.state.ky.us

grussell@mail.state.ky.us

martinw. lasos@sec.state. la .us

dan.gwadosky@state.me.us

ssnkell@state.me.us

ssjflyn@state.me.us

ssdgarl@state.me.us

76247.2706@compuserve.com

carol.evans@co.mo.md.us

sara.harris@co.mo.md.us

stuart.harvey@co.mo.md.us

E-mail Direct ry Page EM-8 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Betty Ann Lucey

Joan Bruns

Massachusetts

Secretary of State's Office

Josephine Fatta

Michigan

Secretary of State's Office

Christopher M. Thomas

Minnesota

Registration/Absentee Manager

Candidacy/Camp. Finance Mgr.

Director of Graphic Communicat'n

Director of Elections

betty.lucey@co.mo.md.us

joan.bruns@co.mo.md.us

jfatta@tiac.net

christophert@sosmail.state.mi.us

Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (formerly Ethical Practices Board)

Jeanne Olson

Gary Goldsmith

Office e-mail address

Secretary of State's Office

Joe Mansky

Mississippi

Secretary of State's Office

Phil Carter

Office e-mail address

Missouri

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

M ntana

Secretary f State's Office

Executive Director

Asst. Executive Director

Director, Elections Div.

Asst. Sec. Of State for Elections

jeanne.olson@state.mn.us

gary.goldsmith@state.mn.us

cf.board@state.mn.us

secreta ry. state@state. m n. us

pcarter@sos.state.ms.us

administrator@sos.state.ms.us

sosmain@mail.sos.state.mo.us

E-mail Directory Page EM-9 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Joe Kerwin

Nebraska

—

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

Deputy Sec. of State

Lancaster County Election Commissioner

Patricia L. Hansen

Kelly M. Guenzel

Nevada

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

Clark County (Las Vegas)

Kathryn Ferguson

Alise Haney

Julie Barker

Elsa Garcia

New Hampshire

New Jersey

—

Election Commissioner

Dep. Election Comm.

Registrar of Voters

Asst. Registrar for Registration

Management Analyst

Management Analyst

n/a

Election Law Enforcement Comm.

Frederick M. Herrmann

S cretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

New Mexico

Secretary f State's Office

Office e-mail address

Executive Director

jkerwin@mt.gov

sosadmin@sos.state.ne.us

phansen@email.ci.lincoln.ne.us

kguenzel@email.ci.lincoln.ne.us

sosmail@govmail.state.nv.us

kjf@co.clark.nv.us

aih@co.clark.nv.us

jba@co.dark. nv.us

efg@co. dark. nv. us

njelec1@njcc.com

f eedback@sos.state. nj. us

73160.1711@compuserve.com

E-mail Directory Page EM-10 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

New York

New York City Campaign Finance Board

Office e-mail address

Nicole A. Gordon

State Board of Elections

Thomas R. Wilkey

Peter Kosinski

Todd Valentine

Stanley L. Zalen

Lee Daghlian

John A. Flicker

George E. Stanton

N rth Carolina

State Board of Elections

GaryBartlett .

Johnnie McLean

Yvonne Southerland

Michelle Wyatt

Barry Garner

Executive Director

Executive Director

Deputy Executive Director

Special Counsel

Enforcement Counsel

Public Information Officer

Supervisor of Data Processing

Data Communications Specialist

Executive Secretary-Director

Deputy Director

Deputy Director

Voter Reg. Director

Research & Educ. Director

Davidson Co. Board of Elections

Ruth H. Huneycutt

F rsyth Co. Board of Elections

Kathie Chastain Cooper

Angie Whaley

Director of Elections

Director of Elections

Deputy Dir. Of Elections

info@cfb.nyc.ny.us

nagcfb@juno.com

twilkey@elections.state.ny.us

pkosinski@elections.state.ny.us

tvalentine@elections.state.ny.us

szalen@elections.state.ny.us

ldaghlian@elections.state.ny.us

jflicker@elections.state.ny.us

gstanton@elections.state.ny.us

gbartlett@sboe.state.nc.us

jmclean@sboe.state.nc.us

ysoutherla@sboe. state, nc.us

mwyatt@sboe .state .nc.us

bgarner@sboe.state.nc.us

rhuneycu@co.davidson.nc.us

k_cooper@co.forsyth.nc.us

whaleyea@co.forsyth.nc.us

E-mail Directory Page EM-11 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Mecklenburg Co. B ard of Electi ns

William B. A. Culp

Jane Cirulis-McSwain

Daniel A. Binford

North Dakota

Secretary of State's Office

i

Ohio

Alvin A. "Al" Jaeger

Bob Schaible

Cory G. Fong

Lee Ann Oliver

Secretary of State's Office

Bob Taft (& Office)

Director of Elections

Deputy Director

Systems Administrator

culpwb@mail.charmeck.nc.us

ciruljm@mail.charmeck.nc.us

binfoda@mail.charmeck.nc.us

1

Secretary of State

Dep. Secretary of State

Elections Director

Elections Assistant

Secretary of State

Hanc ck County Board of Elections

Jody O'Brien

Lori Miller

Licking County

Office e-mail address

Oklah ma

—

State Election Board

Office e-mail address

Ethics Commission

Office e-mail address

Marilyn Hughes

Director

Deputy Director

Executive Director

msmail.scal@ranch.state.nd.us

msmail.scbob@ranch.state.nd.us

msmail.sccory@ranch.state.nd.us

msmail.scleeann@ranch.state.nd.us

taft@ohio.gov

election@bright.net

election@bright.net

egsd16a@prodigy.com

elections@oklaosf.state.ok.us

mrussell@oklaosf.state.ok.us

mhughes@oklaosf.state.ok.us

E-mail Directory Page EM-12 App ndix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Rebecca Adams

Oregon

Secretary of State's Office

Colleen Seaiock

Scott Tighe

Fred Neal

Office e-mail address

Clackamas County

John Kauffman

Yamhill Co. Clerk

Charles Stern

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Secretary of State's Office

James R. Langevin

Jan Ruggiero

South Carolina

State Election Commission

James Hendrix

Marci Andino

Julie Lybrand

South Dakota

Secretary of State's Office

Chris Nelson

General Counsel

Director, Elections Division

Operations Manager

Campaign Finance Manager

County Clerk

County Clerk

n/a

Secretary of State

Director of Elections

Executive Director

Dir. Information Services

Public Information

Election Supervisor

radams@oklaosf.state.ok.us

colleen. c.sealock@state.or.us

scott.s.tighe@state.or.us

fred.r.neal@state.or.us

elections-division@sosinet.sos.state.or.us

johnk@co.clackamas.or.us

stern c@co.yamhill.or.us

jlangevin@sec.state.ri.us

jruggiero@sec.state.ri.us

election@infoave.net

marci@infoave.net

jlybrand@infoave.net

chrisn@sos.state.sd.us

E-mail Direct ry Page EM-13 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Address s for Election Offices

Tennessee

Secretary of State's Office

Brook Thompson

Beth Henry-Robertson

Chris Christian

Coordinator of Elections

Assistant Coordinator of Elections

Elections Attorney

Anderson County Election Commission

Allan L. Williams

Kim Eby

Texas

—

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

Ethics Commission

Tom Harrison

Karen Lundquist

Sarah Woelk

Sharon Finley

Dent n County Election Office

Jim Wicker Jr.

Collin County Election Office

Utah

Bill Bilyeu

Lt. Governor's Office

Kelleen Leishman Potter

Vermont

Administrator of Elections

Dep. Admin.of Elections

Executive Director

General Counsel

Director of Opinions & Education

Director of Computer Services

Elections Supervisor

Elections Supervisor

Deputy for Elections

bkthompson@mail.state.tn.us

bhenry-robertson@mail.state.tn.us

cchristian@mail.state.tn.us

acec@esper.com

acec@esper.com

elections@sos.state.tx.us

tom.harrison@ethics.state.tx.us

karen.lundquist@ethics.state.tx.us

sarah.woelk@ethics.state.tx.us

sharon.finley@ethics.state.tx.us

jrwicker@co.denton .tx. us

election@co.collin.tx.us

kpotter@state.ut.us

E-mail Direct ry Page EM-14 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Secretary of State's Office

Ellen Tofferi

Virginia

Elections Director

Chesterfield County Electoral Board

Office e-mail address

Washington

—

Public Disclosure Commission

Office e-mail address

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

King County Elections (Seattle area)

Office e-mail address

King County Board of Ethics (Seattle area)

Office e-mail address

Seattle Ethics & flections Commission

Carol Van Noy

Bob DeWeese

Executive Director

Management System Analyst

Thurston Co. (Olympia) Auditor's Office

Sam Reed

Kim Wyman

Pam Floyd

Steve Homan

Auditor

Elections Manager

Asst. Elections Manager

Asst. Elections Manager

Yakima County Electi ns Department

Office e-mail address

etofferi@sec.state.vt.us

haakel@co.chesterfield.va.us

pdc@wln.com

elections@secstate.wa.gov

pamiller@metrokc.gov

ethics@seanet.com

carol.van.noy@ci.seattle.wa.us

bob.deweese@ci.seattle.wa.us

reeds@co.thurston.wa.us

wymank@co.thurston.wa.us

floydp@co.thurston.wa.us

homans@co.thurston.wa.us

kevinw@co.yakima.wa.us

E-mail Dire tory Page EM-15 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

West Virginia

Secretary of State's Office

Office e-mail address

Wisconsin

State Elections Board

William Bamett-Lewis

Wyoming

Secretary of State's Office

Peggy Nighswonger

James Mitchell

Office e-mail address

Canada

Ele

Information Systems Mgr

Election Officer

Service Div. Director

>rtinn*s British Crtlumhin—~-———— ...... . ....................

Edmonton, Office of City Clerk

Ulli Watkiss

Sherryl Vint

Additional contacts:

Ball t Access News

Brace, Kim

California Voter Foundation

-

Office e-mail address

Kim Alexander

City Clerk

Operations Analyst

Richard Winger, Publisher

Pres., Election Data Services, Inc.

Executive Director

wvsos@secretary.state.wv. us

wlewis@mailbag.com

pnighs@missc.state.wy.us

jmitch@missc.state.wy.us

eiections@missc.state.wy.us

ElectionsBC@gems3.gov. bc.ca

cityclerk.coe@notes.gov. edmonton.ab.ca

sherryl_yint.coe@notes.gov.edmonton.ab.ca

ban@igc.apc.org

kbrace@aol.com

cvf@netcom.com

kimalex@netcom.com

E-mail Dire tory Pag EM-16 Appendix 7
Directory of E-Mail Addresses for Election Offices

Center for Resp nsive P litics

Council of State Governments (Washington office)

Abe Frank

Dave Scott

Washington Office Director

Policy Analyst/ NASED Liaison

C uncil on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL)

Robert Stern

Election Adm. Reports

Staff Director

Richard Smolka, Publisher

F deral Election Commission, Office of Election Administration

Penelope Bonsall

Bill Kimberling

Peggy Sims

Brian Hancock

Elfi Blum

Director

Deputy Director

Election Research Specialist

Election Research Specialist

Election Research Specialist

Federal Voting Assistance Program

Feigenbaum, Edward

Garber, Marie

IACREOT

Consultant, Election Law

Consultant

Office e-mail address

nst. For Democracy and Electoral Asstc (IDEA)

Maidenberg, David

Packard, Edward

R senfield, Peg

Sm Ika, Dick

Stern, R bert

St rey, Tim

Consultant

ELECnet Internet Site

Consultant

Election Administration Reports

COGEL Staff Director

Nat'l Conf. of State Legislatures

info@crp.org

afrank@csg.org

dscott@csgcomm.csg.org

SternCGS@aol.com

eareditor@aol.com

pbonsall@fec.gov

bkimberling@fec.gov

psims@fec.gov

bhancock@fec.gov

eblum@fec.gov

fvap@fvo.osd.mil

fasted@sprintmail.com

mariegarbe@aol.com

iacreot@earthlink.net

info@int-idea.se

maidenberg@iquest.net

epackard@champion.iupui.edu

prosen@freenet.columbus.oh.us

eareditor@aol.com

SternCGS@aol.com

tim.storey@ncsl.org

E-mail Direct ry Page EM-17 Appendix 7

Other titles in our Innovations series include:

• Vol 1: The Voting Authority Card

• Vol 2: Optical Scanning Technology for Purposes other than

Ballot Counting

• Vol 3: Election Signature Retrieval Systems

• Vol 4: Using NCOA Files for Verifying Voter Registration Lists

• Vol 5: Agency Voter Registration Programs

• Vol 6: Motor Voter Registration Programs

• Vol 7: Mail Registration Programs

• Vol 8: Election Document Retention in an Age of High Technology

• Vol 9: Early Voting

• Vol 10: Ballot Security and Accountability

• Vol 11: All-Mail-Ballot Elections

• Vol 12: The Electronic Transmission of Election Materials

• Vol 13; Simplifying Election Forms and Materials

• Vol 14: Recruiting Poll Workers

• Vol 15: Ensuring the Accessibility of the Election Process
For information about other

Innovations in Election Administration

contact

Office of Election Administration

Federal Election Commission

999 E. Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20463

Toll Free 800/424-9530

Direct 202/649-1094

FAX 202/219-8500

e-mail bkimberling@fec.gov

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20463

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

Penalty for Private

Use, $300

Bulk Rate Mail

Postage and Fees Paid

Federal Election Commission

Permit Number G-31