During the previous General Assembly, SB 107 was passed and signed into law. The legislation, championed by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, was sponsored by State Senator Michael Rulli (R-Salem) and enhances transparency by allowing campaign finance reports for local candidates and committees to be filed electronically with county boards of elections. Previously, the only option for voters to obtain a report was to contact their county board of elections.

Beginning this month, and in advance of the upcoming campaign finance deadline on Jan. 29, any local candidate or committee may choose to use https://boefile.ohiosos.gov/ to submit their report. By doing so, they’ll make it far easier for voters to view campaign finance reports online.

“It’s more efficient for local candidates and their treasurers, but perhaps more important than that is that it makes local campaign finance more transparent,” LaRose said. “It provides better opportunities for journalists, or students, or researchers to look at where candidates are getting their money and what it’s being spent on. In 2021 we expect that kind of transparency, and that’s exactly what you get with this new system.”