NIC inks e-filing contract with FEC

National Information Consortium Inc. has won a five-year, $5.5 million contract with the Federal Election Commission to provide an electronic filing system for the disclosure of campaign finances, the company announced Jan. 23.

Under the contract, NIC will continue to maintain the e-filing system it built for the commission in 1997. NIC also will develop enhancements and introduce Web site improvements as needed during the life of the contract.

The company won the new contract through a competitive bid in December 2001, according to company officials.

The system designed by NIC enables filers to submit financial contribution reports online. The commission provides a searchable database and online reports of contributions and filings within hours after a filing is received.

The commission is an independent regulatory agency that discloses campaign finance information, enforces political contribution laws and oversees the public funding of presidential elections.

NIC of Overland Park, Kan., has built electronic ethics and elections filing systems for a number of state governments, including Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas, company officials said.