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The CAL-ACCESS Replacement System project, known as CARS, will become available for public use in mid-November 2026. Since the planned go-live date of the system will occur in approximately six months, the May and future editions of this newsletter will feature information that explains the general use of the system. This newsletter edition describes the pathways to the system, the concept of “linking” filers and filings, and provides an example of the public’s access to filed data. An example of the new report format is shown at the end of the newsletter.
Before gaining access to the new system, all filers will be required to create log-in credentials and update user profile information. The new system will use a multi-factor authentication application, a process that is common with banking and financial institutions.
The Transition to the New CAL-ACCESS: What to Expect
The new CAL-ACCESS system provides four distinct user interfaces, referred to as “portals,” with each portal serving a specific type of user.
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Filer Portal – for users registering and filing information about political campaigns, campaign fundraising, and lobbying activities.
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Public Portal – serving those who want to search, view, and download data about campaign and lobbying financial activity.
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Partner Portal –for organizations that work closely with the Secretary of State’s Office, for example, the Fair Political Practices Commission and the Franchise Tax Board, provides access to data for conducting audits.
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PRD Portal – for Political Reform Division (PRD) staff to manage user accounts, filer registrations, disclosures, system setup, and reporting.
When the system is publicly available, links to the filer, public, and partner portals will be posted on the PRD website, along with training materials and instructions to access each portal.
A Big Change – No Paper Filings
The new CAL-ACCESS is an online system. When it becomes available in November, the existing Fair Political Practices Commission paper forms and their form numbers will no longer be used. In place of the existing forms, the system will use a plain language approach to describing transactions, making them more complete and easier to understand. The April 2026 newsletter (Question of the Month) included a crosswalk showing the former Fair Political Practices Commission form numbers mapped to the corresponding business terminology used in the new system.
All filings must be submitted electronically using the filer portal, or by submitting registration and disclosure documents via a certified third-party software vendor. The list of certified software vendors will be available on the PRD website. These vendors have worked closely with the development team throughout the CARS project to update their software and ensure compatibility with the system’s application programming interfaces.
Filers and Linkages
After a filer has created a unique User ID and established a user account, the filer will complete a one-time process to create “linkages” to other filing entities. For example, a lobbyist can link to a lobbying employer (client), lobbying firm, or lobbying coalition. The filing entity receives communication from the system and chooses to accept or reject the linkage request. Alternatively, using the same example of a lobbyist, a lobbying employer, firm, or coalition may send a linkage request to a lobbyist to either accept or reject. To reduce errors, the system has business rules that prevent linkages that are not acceptable, such as a candidate sending a linkage request to a lobbying firm.
The process to register in the system and how to create linkages are just two of the many functionality actions that will be explained in detail during the system training sessions that will become available prior to the system go-live date.
As a user of the system, the filer will see their established relationships in a specific section of their personal dashboard. Shown below is a screen shot of the “My Filers” tab of the dashboard.
 Public Access to Lobbying and Campaign Registration and Disclosure Information
The new CAL-ACCESS system will provide public access to lobbying and campaign registration and disclosure reports. Researchers, journalists, and the public will have search capabilities to run predefined or customized reports. Public users who desire to save their customized reports can create a user account, save the custom reports and run them again in the future.
The home page of the public portal offers quick links to search for predefined reports related to campaign finance or lobbying activity. These predefined reports include common public search items such as Candidate and Election Information, Top Ten Contributor Lists, Ballot Measure Contribution Totals, Campaign Disclosures, Lobbying Disclosures, and the Lobbying Directory.
The public portal graphic shown in this newsletter is a draft and the final version is subject to change.
There will be much to learn about the new CAL-ACCESS system so be prepared to participate in training opportunities as the go-live date approaches. Follow the project’s progress through the CAL-ACCESS Replacement System Project website.
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