A. Each of the following documents is a public record open to public inspection during regular office hours in the office in which the document was filed or from which the document was issued:

(1) a statement of exception;

(2) a report of expenditures and contributions;

(3) an advisory opinion issued by the secretary of state;

(4) a document specified as a public record in the Campaign Reporting Act [1-19-25 to 1-19-36 NMSA 1978]; and

(5) an arbitration decision issued by an arbitration panel and filed with the secretary of state.

B. Each public record described in Subsection A of this section shall be retained by the state for five years and may be destroyed five years after the date of filing unless a legal action or prosecution is pending that requires the preservation of the public record.

C. The secretary of state shall provide for electronic access to reports of expenditures and contributions and statements of exception submitted electronically by reporting individuals. Electronic access shall include access via the internet and shall be in an easily searchable format.

History: 1978 Comp., § 1-19-32, enacted by Laws 1979, ch. 360, § 8; 1993, ch. 46, § 8; 1995, ch. 153, § 8; 2003, ch. 66, § 4.

Cross references. — For Public Records Act, see 14-3-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.

The 2003 amendment, effective June 20, 2003, added Subsection C.

The 1995 amendment, effective June 16, 1995, rewrote the section heading which read "Public inspection of reports" and rewrote the section to the extent that a detailed analysis is impracticable.