When turned on the political arena and, in particular, election campaigns, the public spotlight can illuminate the sources of a candidate's financial support and his or her obligations once elected.
Voters can make choices based on what they see.
But what the voters see is often limited by disclosure laws that provide too little information, too late in the election process. The view is blocked further still by stacks of paper reports that make searching for answers a long and difficult task. To serve the public well, campaign disclosure laws should require adequate detail from candidates, political parties, and other filers about the sources of their funding and how they spend their money. In addition, laws should ensure that disclosure reports are filed regularly throughout the campaign and more frequently in the days just before the election. Computers should be used to collect and provide public access to campaign finance information.