DAP works on virtually any personal computer equipped with a modem and communications software. Subscribers order service in advance, with a minimum of one hour per request. The system is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week except for scheduled maintenance. This means that all you need to do is follow the instructions printed on the screen or in the notebook which is provided by the Commission. For example, information about candidates includes overall summaries of campaign finance for one candidate or a group of candidates, listings of PAC's and party committees who have given contributions to particular candidates, and or listings of individual people who have contributed to specific campaigns.
Information is available for the most recent three election cycles.
After you have chosen the type of information you wish, the process leads you through a series of simple questions which allow you to select the specific candidates or committees you wish to review. You can select candidates or committees in a variety of ways, including name, state, etc. Once you have identified a unique set of committees, the reports or data files are created and sent directly to your screen. You can also save the information on your hard drive for later analysis. The information is provided in two forms.