OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s local election candidates can now comply with a new campaign finance state law by using a temporary electronic filing system.
Oklahoma Ethics Commission officials said candidates filing for local elections will ultimately be integrated into the existing Guardian system in the coming months once upgrades are completed, but for now they can file electronically using a temporary portal, according to a news release.
The new filing system impacts candidates running for county, municipal, school district and technology center offices.
Senate Bill 890, which took effect Nov. 1, moved campaign finance reports and disclosures for local jurisdictions to the purview of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
Civix, the Guardian vendor, will expand the system’s capacity to allow for around 3,000 extra filers.
Ethics Commission officials estimated last month that it will take 12 to 15 weeks and cost $100,000 to expand it.
Lee Anne Bruce Boone, executive director of the Ethics Commission, said the Office of Management and Enterprise Services helped the board find a cost effective temporary solution. The temporary portal costs $1,000, she said.
“Oklahoma voters deserve transparency at every level of government,” Bruce Boone said. “This interim portal ensures that disclosure continues without delay while full electronic integration is finalized.”
The Ethics Commission had previously advised local election candidates to save all paper records until the agency had a systemwide option.
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