Publication:ArkansasDemocratGazetteDate:Oct1,2012Section:FrontSectionPage:1 Definitionoftotalhazyinfinancelaw SARAHD.WIREARKANSASDEMOCRATGAZETTE Arkansaslawdoesntclearlyaddresshowcandidatesshouldcalculatetheirtotalcontributionson monthlycampaignfinancereports,causingcandidatestopresentdifferingfiguresonpublicrecords. Somecandidateslisttheircumulativetotalssincetheybegancampaigning,othersstartoverafter theprimaryorprimaryrunoff.EitherwaycouldbeinterpretedascorrectunderArkansaslaw,election officialssaid. ArkansasCodeAnnotated76207(b)(1)(A)statesthatmonthlyreportsshouldinclude,Thetotal amountofcontributionsreceivedwithloansstatedseparately,thetotalamountofexpendituresmade duringthefilingperiods,andthecumulativeamountofthosetotals. EthicsCommissionDirectorGrahamSloansaidthelawisntclear. Iusuallyjusttell[candidates]thelawissilenteitherway.Icantreallysayyoureinclear violationeitherwayyoudoit,Sloansaid.AslongasyouhadoneortheotherinthereIthinkyoucould makeagoodcasethatyouwereincompliance.

Sloansaidquestionsfromareporterlastweekwasthefirsttimeanypersonwhowasnta candidatehasaskedhimabouttheissueinthe17yearshehasbeenwiththecommission. Hesaidhethinksapersonusingthepublicrecordscouldcalculatethecumulativetotalsby comparingeachmonthsloans,contributionsandexpendituresifhewantedtobesurewhattimeperiod thecumulativetotalreferredto. Theinformationisthere,youjustmighthavetomineitalittlebittogettoit,hesaid.Itsthere, itsjustaddition. Sloansaidthepublicisgenerallymoreinterestedinwhodonatedtoacandidateandhowa campaignspentmoneyonemonththaninatotalelectioncycle. ThesecretaryofstatesElectionsDivisionDirectorMarthaAdcocksaidsheisntsurewhichis righteither. ItsoundslikeadiscussionweneedtohavewiththeEthicsCommission,andthenifclarityneeds tobeprovidedinthelawwelllookatthat,Adcocksaid. Adcocksaidshewillrelyonwhateverthecommissionsaysiscorrect. Wearethefilingentity,theyretheenforcers,shesaid.Thatsnotthedutythatwehavebeen given. ShesaidtheLegislaturemayneedtoaddressthematterinthe2013session. Sloansaidthecommissionwouldconsideraskingforthelawtobeclarifiedinitslegislative packageforthe2013session. Eitherwayisprobablysufficient,butifitweremeIdprobablydothecumulativefortheentire electioncycle,Sloansaid. Hesaidthecommissioncouldprobablyapprovearuletoclarifywhatthetermmeansonitsown, butwilllikelywaitforlawmakers. Anotherplacecandidatesmayturnforguidance,the2012editionoftheRunningforPublic

OfficehandbookpublishedbythestateBoardofElectionCommissioners,statesthatthecumulativetotal forcontributionsandforexpendituresshouldreflectactionsbyyourcampaigntodate. ONLINEFILING Contributingtotheconfusionisthatcandidatescanlegallyfileeitheronlineorbysubmittingpaper copiesoftheirreports. Adcocksaidthecumulativeamountonreportsfiledonlinecanbeincorrectifthecandidatestarts severalversionsofareportbutdoesnotfinishthem. Youcanopenupmultipledocumentsasacandidate,andyoumaystartononeonedayandyou maystartafilingforJulymonthlyandyougetstartedonitandthenputitasidebecauseitsnotduethen andthenyoucomebacklaterandyouopenupanotherone,Adcocksaid. Shesaidwhenthesystemcalculatesthecumulativetotalforthecampaign,itconsidersallreports available. Itlookslikeitswrongbutitsjustpullingineverythingthatshangingoutthere,shesaid. Adcocksaidcandidatesmaynotknowthatopeningmultiplefilescausesaproblem. Formanyofthemtheydontrealizethatthatpotentialerroristherebecausetheotherdocuments areopen,andtheyjustletitgo,Adcocksaid. Theelectionsofficehasapolicythatitdeletesfilesthathavebeenopenedbutnotsubmittedafter sixmonthsorwhenaskedtobyacandidate. Wedontgointomonitoreverybodysonlinefiling,shesaid. Shesaidtheofficehasntlimitedhowmanyfilesacandidatecancreatebecauseacampaignmay wanttoinputcontributionsorexpendituresthroughoutthemonthortheremaybemorethanonereport dueinashortperiodoftime,suchasamonthlyreportanda10daypreelectionreport. Adcocksaidcandidateswhochoosetocreatemultiplereportsneedtomanuallyenterthe cumulativeamountsinsteadoflettingthesoftwarecalculateitforthem. Ifacandidateiskeepingupwithwhattheirnumbersareandiftheyaddwhattheircumulative totalsare,ratherthanlettingthesystemprovidethecumulativetotal,thenthecandidatecanprovidethe cumulativetotal,Adcocksaid. Shesaidtheofficemayneedtolookintoawaytokeepthesystemfromcalculatingthe cumulativeamount. Inalotofwaysthatseasierforthecandidate,butthatmaybeanoption,Adcocksaid. Shesaidcandidatesshouldnotassumethatjustbecausethecumulativenumberhasbeen calculatedforthemthatitisaccurate. Youhavetoknowifthatswrong.Itstheresponsibilityofthefilertogobackinandmakesure thoseareright,Adcocksaid.Thesystemtriestohelpyou...butyoushouldknowwhatyourreportsare fromthelasthowevermanymonths. INTERPRETATIONSPLIT Thedifferentinterpretationsofstatelawresultindiscrepanciesinhowthefiguresarereported dependingonthecandidate. Theresultisincidentswhere,forexample,acandidatehas$60,000inthebank,buthiscumulative totalraisedislistedas$3,000. Or,instanceswhereacandidatedoesntlistacumulativetotalatall.

AreviewofAugustcampaignfinancereportsof22candidates,about10percentofall215 legislativecandidates,showedtworeportswherethecumulativetotalofcashraisedminusthecumulative totalofcashspentequaledtheamountofmoneythecandidatereportedhavingonhand. Thediscrepancyinnumbersoccursregardlessofpoliticalparty,legislativechamber,ifthefileris anincumbentornewtopolitics,orwhethertheyfilereportsonlinethroughthesecretaryofstates softwareorbyhand. Thereisatremendousamountofconfusion,Rep.JonWoods,RSpringdale,said.Peopledont fillitoutortheyleaveitblankortheyareconfusedbywhatitmeans. Woodssaidhehasbeentoldbythesecretaryofstatesofficethattheprimaryelectionand generalelectionhavedifferentcumulativetotals. Thecumulativetomestartsover,Woodssaid.Itsanewrace,itsanewanimalsocumulative totaliswhatyouvegottentodatesincetheprimary. WoodsisrunningagainstDemocratDianaGonzalesWorthenofSpringdaletorepresentSenate District7. Rep.JohnCharlesEdwards,DLittleRock,saidifthereisambiguityinthelaw,itshouldbefixed. HeisrunninginDistrict35againstRepublicancandidatePatriceWolfeofLittleRock. Hesaidhenormallyliststhecontributorsandexpendituresforthemonthanddoesnotfilloutthe cumulativetotalsectionofthereport.HeamendedhisreportsFridayafterspeakingtoareporter. HesaidhisamendedreportsshowarunningcumulativetotalsinceJanuary. Edwardsisnttheonlycandidatewhohasntincludedhiscumulativetotalofhismonthlyreports. Atleastadozenothershaventincludedtheinformationinthepast. Rep.JamesMcLean,DBatesville,saidthereportsarecomplicatedandnotputtingthe informationontheformwasanoversight. Hesaidhisinterpretationofcumulativemeansthemoneyhehasraisedandspentsincethe primary,whichwasMay22.