Calif. to post raw campaign filings online daily

The Secretary of State’s Office has agreed to change the way it presents campaign finance data online after initially rejecting a request from a coalition of good-government groups, research organizations and newspapers.

Shannan Velayas, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Debra Bowen, said Tuesday that the department will make the state’s entire campaign finance database, known as Cal-Access, available for download on one spreadsheet daily. The change is expected to be completed by Labor Day.

The groups that asked for the change hailed the decision as a win for transparency. They say it will help the public keep track of who is funding elected officials.

MapLight president Dan Newman says the change brings California more in line with the Federal Election Commission, which already makes raw data available for download online.