NC improves with B-minus on campaign disclosure

RALEIGH -- North Carolina keeps doing a better job informing voters about where political candidates get their campaign money and how it's spent. The state received a B-minus in the annual report of the California-based Campaign Disclosure Project released Wednesday. The state got a D-plus in 2003 and C-plus last year. North Carolina ranks 23rd among the 50 states this year. North Carolina scored highly for laws requiring detailed information about campaign contributors, including their occupation. The State Board of Elections received praise for its online database where Web users can search for contributors and expenditures. The report gave poor marks because it says the board's disclosure Web site needs improvements. Legislative candidates also aren't required to file their reports electronically. (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)