NetFile’s Campaign Solution is an Internet-based electronic filing service that enables a local agency to establish their own electronic filing and administration system. There are three basic components to NetFile’s solution:

The e-filing portion consists of the treasurer of the committee being issued a Filer ID and secure password. They go to your website and click on a link for the e-filing portion. The link is hosted by our servers (but looks just like your website background so they do not realize they have left your site). Our servers insure a fast and efficient filing. When the treasurer fills out its form online (for example the FPPC 460) they click submit and the filing is sent to our validation server in a CAL document format (the format required by the Secretary of State). If the filing passes validation it is automatically posted to the internet with the addresses redacted for public viewing. Because we are using the CAL format required by the Secretary of State, the treasury firms you have using proprietary software at the State of California level but accounting for their local committees using said software, do not have to re-input any data into a manual system. We have a simple upload tool for those types of committees to use so you will not get complaints that committees have to double enter data when using third party software. E-filings can also be amended by the committee simply by choosing the electronic filing they want to amend.

All committees entered into the management tool can be viewed over the internet. The committees that e-filed using the system will show the basic committee info and their redacted electronic filings that passed validation. The public can view each committees electronic (redacted) filing or search across all committees electronically filed data. For example, you could search across all electronic filings to look for a contributor common to these committees or an entity these committees made a payment to. Committees that have not e-filed but have been entered into the management tool will have their names and basic information appear on the public site, but their filings will not (unless you want to manually redact and add a scanned copy to the site). If a redacted and scanned filing is not attached, a note tells the public viewer the committees paper filings can be viewed at the agency office.

The management tool helps the agency administer the many tasks revolving working with committees. The system has many advantages over paper filings. There are 2 basic levels for validation for the e-filing. The first is when the filer fills out the form online. The second (after passing the first) occurs when the electronic filing is sent to our validation server. The net result is you significantly reduce amendments because you avoid simple mistakes like forgotten page numbers or missing filing periods. Also, notification is sent to the administrator when an electronic filing is made. Pre-notification letters, amendment letters, late filing notices, and fine notices can be generated by the system. The system also tracks committees who do not e-file. Committee's not required to e-file can be kept in the system instead of manually logging their data in a spreadsheet (for recordkeeping). That way the system manages them for late filings and amendment and fine notices where applicable. The management tool has numerous reports available for tracking committees’ data. A kiosk mode is included that allows the public that walks into your office to search unredacted filings. The viewer would print filings to a printer you have behind your counter. All staff does is charge them for the filing. No more staff time wasted in finding, copying, showing, and returning copies!