MapLight

As campaigns spend increasing amounts on digital advertising, states and cities are seeking to provide more transparency to the public about these ads. MapLight has developed the MapLight Digital Ad Archive solution, a software system for governments that supports the filing and public reporting of all political advertising--digital, print, video, and otherwise. The MapLight Digital Ad Archive is user-friendly for regulators, filers, and the public. Filers can upload ads and information about them.

MapLight’s newest report on San Diego highlights the outsized role that money plays in who runs for office and what policies they enact. Big Donor Dominance: Campaign Finance in San Diego details the patterns and trends in campaign funding for candidates in San Diego, California, from 2016 through 2022, with analysis revealing the extent of impact that large donors have on campaign funding in San Diego.

CAL-ACCESS is the California Secretary of State's software system serving the largest U.S. state, home to 39 million people. The Secretary of State today of the contract to provide the next-generation CAL-ACCESS disclosure system to CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc. and partner MapLight. MapLight is providing our proven MapLight Disclosure System software as the center of a customized disclosure solution for California.

Money in politics can have an outsized impact on who runs for office and who wins, from the state and federal level down to local contests. The city of San Jose, California is no exception. MapLight examined campaign funding in the aftermath of the most expensive election in the history of San Jose, in 2022. Among many key findings, our report reveals: Campaign contributions more than tripled from 2018 to 2022. Total contributions were $1,901,028 in 2018, but rose to $7,021,227 in 2022.

In early 2020, amid surging COVID caseloads, high anxiety, and uncertainty across the country, local governments and democratic institutions faced a multitude of challenges. In addition to confronting critical decisions about public safety, how should they best engage the public in the absence of meeting in-person? How could they test, practice, and harness new digital tools to get feedback and buy-in about important government decisions?

As we move into a new year fighting to strengthen our democracy, MapLight is taking stock of the hard-fought, critical victories we achieved in 2022 that are already making our democracy more resilient and transparent. We worked at the federal, state, and local levels to advance major legislative goals; improve transparency and disclosure systems; and provide comprehensive, unbiased information to voters about every race and candidate on their ballots.

MapLight’s President Daniel G. Newman testified today at a California Senate hearing on improving CAL-ACCESS, the state’s software system for campaign finance and lobbying transparency. At the hearing MapLight presented detailed recommendations on how to improve public access to campaign finance and lobbying data.

Art by George O'Connor Voters in Oakland, California today overwhelmingly passed the Oakland Fair Elections Act, which will create a “democracy dollars” system of public funding of elections. With democracy dollars, each Oakland resident will receive democracy vouchers worth $100. Residents can give these vouchers to city council and mayor candidates, and the candidates then exchange the vouchers for public funds to run their campaigns.

Photo by Quick PS At the height of the 2020 election campaign, MapLight published Election in Peril, a comprehensive report on improving the laws governing presidential elections. We noted that the Electoral Count Act, an archaic law that governs how Congress counts votes, has dangerous gaps in ambiguities. We recommended that Congress rewrite this law, in place since 1887, to prevent ambiguity in future disputed elections.

Art by George O'Connor In just 75 days, voters in Oakland, California have the opportunity to vote for the Oakland Fair Elections Act, which would create a “democracy dollars” system of public funding of elections. With democracy dollars, each Oakland resident will receive democracy vouchers worth $100. Residents can give these vouchers to city council and mayor candidates, and the candidates then exchange the vouchers for public funds to run their campaigns.