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Politics

Registrar To Put San Diego County Campaign Contributions Online

Registrar To Put San Diego County Campaign Contributions Online
San Diegans who want to find out who are supporting candidates running for public office in the county will find it much easier in the coming election season. The County Registrar of Voters plans to have campaign contributions posted on line.

San Diegans who want to find out who are supporting candidates running for public office in the county will find it much easier in the coming election season. The County Registrar of Voters plans to have campaign contributions posted on line.

The city of San Diego has been doing it for four years, and so have 15 of California’s largest counties. But until now, San Diegans who wanted to find out how much candidates for regional office have raised and where the money came from had to make a trip to the Registrar’s office on Ruffin Road. They had to go though paper records, and then there were photocopying fees.

Assistant Registrar Michael Vu says the County has now earmarked $100,000 for a contract to put the information online.

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“So the public has the ability to go to our site, and if they have a specific campaign that they want to look at, they will be able to see those documents online as opposed to having to come into our office and viewing them,” said Vu.

Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation says San Diego is now joining the ranks of counties interested in more transparency around campaign financing.

“Any jurisdiction that moves to get data online is moving in the right direction,” she said.

The first campaign contribution disclosure dates for candidates running in the November election is in October. The Registrar still has not awarded a contract for the new system, but hopes to have it online in time.