New this Filing Day: Enhanced Electronic Submission

You asked and we delivered! In November, the CFB launched a new feature that allows campaigns to electronically submit backup documentation for contributions directly through our web-based candidate disclosure software (C-SMART).

Every campaign seeking public matching funds must provide supporting documentation for each monetary contribution submitted for match. The new feature allows campaigns to link scanned backup documentation to transactions already entered into C-SMART. Once the backup documents have been linked to the appropriate contributions, the new C-SMART feature automatically will combine the documents and data together to submit your disclosure statement to the CFB.

Campaigns have been able to provide their supporting contribution documents to the CFB via Google Drive since the beginning of 2013. We were eager to improve on that process, and integrate it into our existing software.

This C-SMART upgrade will deliver real benefits to campaigns. You will now have a virtual filing cabinet containing all of your encrypted, pre-submission data and documentation. You should also be able to better assess your progress towards the threshold to qualify for public funds payments. We’ve added a new report showing which of the contributions you have entered into C-SMART lack the documentation required for matching funds.

We believe this new feature will provide campaigns significantly more control over the documents they submit next week. (The second disclosure period for the 2017 elections ends on January 11 and the deadline to file a complete report is January 15.) This should help candidates better navigate the CFB’s document review process and make participating in the matching funds program easier. This is just one of many improvements we’re planning for C-SMART prior to the 2017 elections. Stay tuned for those and let your CSU liaison know what improvements you’d like to see!