Oklahomans still lack a date for when public access to the state’s system that tracks election, lobbying and campaign finance will be restored, nearly three months after it was taken offline for updates.
While the public can request data through the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, the Guardian system’s online component, which provides a quick way to examine information about campaign spending, lobbyists and candidates, remains inaccessible. The system was first taken offline Sept. 19 and a beta version was launched with limited access for filers, but not the public, in late October.
The delay is also affecting new lobbyist registration and candidate filings as the 2026 statewide election season begins to intensify and the Legislature prepares for session in February.
Lee Anne Bruce Boone, executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, said Guardian 2.0 is in the “final phase of transition” and the Ethics Commission is validating data delivered by the vendor.
The change in the software system is a result of a vendor no longer supporting the old system.
Bruce Boone said the timeline for replacing Guardian wasn’t set by the Commission. The previous vendor established the shutdown date for the old system and the new vendor committed to replacing it within the established window, but unanticipated data conversion issues led to a longer timeline, she said.
“The complexity of the data-conversion process proved greater than the vendor initially projected,” Bruce Boone said. “When the data arrived, it required substantially more remediation and validation than anticipated, resulting in delays outside the Commission’s control.”
Guardian provides public access to candidate expenditures and contributors as well as information about lobbyists, which candidates have filed paperwork to run for office and the formation of political action committees.
On Tuesday, a special primary election was occurring to fill a vacant House seat covering parts of Pawnee, Payne, Creek, Noble and Osage counties.
A number of candidates have also indicated that they’ll be running for office in the 2026 general elections.
“Campaign finance data is not like ordinary website content — it is legal data,” Bruce Boone said in a statement. “Every number in a report can affect compliance decisions, enforcement actions, public trust, and even the outcome of an election.”
The Commission will decide on the system’s readiness based on accuracy, reliability and performance when data validation is complete, Bruce Boone said.
Bruce Boone said the Commission has fulfilled every public data request while the online system hasn’t been accessible and is “preparing temporary contingency options to support reporting if the vendor cannot finalize the remaining issues within a very short window.”
No filers will be penalized or negatively affected during this period because of delays from the system transition.
“We recognize this is a critical time in the election cycle, and no requester has been denied access to information because of this transition,” Bruce Boone said. “… The Commission cannot responsibly accept new filings until the underlying legacy data is validated. Opening the filing portal before that validation is complete would risk mixing new reports with inaccurate historical data, which would undermine both compliance and public trust.”
Lobbyists are also affected.
The Ethics Commission website advises that “2026 renewal registrations for lobbyists and liaisons are not active at this time.” The Commission expects the renewal feature to be finalized by the end of the year, Bruce Boone said.
Registration for new lobbyists is available, she said.
