News Releases, Media Advisories
FEC REDESIGNS, STREAMLINES WEB SITE
WASHINGTON The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has redesigned and streamlined its Internet Web site, which can still be accessed at www.fec.gov.
Items available on the newly designed www.fec.gov include images of campaign finance reports from candidates for the United States House of Representatives, from Presidential campaigns, and from most other political committees*; summaries and searchable databases of campaign contributions; candidate and committee guides and reporting forms; news releases and media advisories; statistics and data on voting and elections; Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guidelines; FEC advisory opinions; a "Whats New" scrolling menu; daily highlights; and more.
The primary purpose of the revamped Web site is to reorganize the material therein to offer the most efficient presentation of relevant and appropriate information to various audiences, including the general public, candidates and their campaign workers, and the media.
Additionally, the FEC has implemented Media-Independent Presentation Language (MIPL), an Internet-based technology designed to facilitate access for persons with special needs to many types of information by using a wide variety of hardware and software solutions. For example, the visually handicapped can dial a phone number (818-995-2463) and receive audibly a menu of phone-touch choices that parallel the FECs Web site choices. The hearing-impaired may dial 818-995-2464 for a similar menu. (Those desiring more information about MIPL can find it at www.altaccess.org.)
FEC Chairman Scott E. Thomas commented, "We are pleased to offer this improvement to the public. We will continue our efforts to add helpful informational items to our Web site and make it as user friendly as possible."
*United States Senate candidates do not file their campaign finance reports directly with the FEC, but with the Secretary of the Senate, who currently microfilms them and sends the microfilm to the FEC. Imaging is not available for these reports at this time. While the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee also file their reports with the Secretary of the Senate, copies of their reports are available on the FEC Web site because the Senate provides the Commission with paper copies that meet requirements for scanning.
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