Another election cycle, another secretary of state, another $70,000 spent, and New Mexicans still won’t have easy access to any information about how much money state legislative and Public Regulation Commission candidates are raising and spending until, at best, a little more than a week before the June 3 primary.
That’s because, though finance reports were due Monday and most candidates filed them online, the Secretary of State’s arcane system hasn’t improved much under the administration of Mary Herrera, who took office in January 2007.
“Sluggish” was the word used to describe the online system in a Santa Fe New Mexican article published today. In addition, about 30 candidates filed on paper instead of online, and each report has to be manually inputted into the system. And, because the system is hard to use, the office had to give candidates another day to file reports, so the new deadline to file is today.
To make all information available at the same time, the office decided to put the reports – the first of the primary season – online on May 26, two weeks after they were filed. The next reporting deadline is three days later and five days before the primary.
So, assuming all goes as currently planned, there will be little time for the media and public to sort through the finance reports for the primary election before most voters head to the polls on June 3. And those who are currently voting early are making decisions without access to the information contained in the reports.
This has long been a problem with the Secretary of State’s Office, but Herrera pledged to change that when she was elected. This is her first major election, and last year the Legislature provided $70,000 to help with the office’s filing system. Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, who reauthorized the money last year, told The New Mexican the fact that the reports aren’t online is “a real disappointment.”
“They assured me the system would be up to par,” the newspaper quoted her as saying.
State law requires electronic filing of reports unless a candidate obtains a hardship waiver explaining why he or she can’t. Feldman said the system isn’t easy to use and that may explain why so many are utilizing the hardship exception.
When will