Title 21-A: ELECTIONS

Chapter 13: CAMPAIGN REPORTS AND FINANCES

Subchapter 4: REPORTS BY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES AND BALLOT QUESTION COMMITTEES

§1059. Report; filing requirements

A committee required to register under section 1052‑A or 1053‑B shall file an initial campaign finance report within 7 days of registration or within 14 days of having been required to register, whichever comes first, and thereafter shall file reports in compliance with this section. All reports must be filed by 11:59 p.m. on the day of the filing deadline, except that reports submitted to a municipal clerk must be filed by the close of business on the day of the filing deadline.   [PL 2021, c. 217, §10 (AMD).]

1.  Contents; quarterly reports and election year reports. 

[PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §35 (RP).]

2.  Reporting schedule.  A committee shall file reports according to the following schedule.  

A. A committee shall file quarterly reports:  

(1) On January 15th, and the report must be complete as of December 31st;  

(2) On April 10th, and the report must be complete as of March 31st;  

(3) On July 15th, and the report must be complete as of June 30th; and  

(4) On October 5th, and the report must be complete as of September 30th.   [PL 2019, c. 323, §24 (AMD).]

B. During any year in which primary and general elections are held, a committee shall file primary and general election reports in addition to the reports required under paragraph A:  

(1) On the 11th day before the date on which the election is held, which must be complete as of the 14th day before that date; and  

(2) On the 42nd day after the date on which the election is held, which must be complete as of the 35th day after that date.  

A committee shall file primary and general election reports even if the committee did not engage in financial activity to influence the primary or general election.   [PL 2019, c. 323, §24 (AMD).]

C. In any election year other than a year described in paragraph B, if a committee has received contributions or made expenditures for the purpose of influencing a ballot question election, a special election or a municipal candidate or referendum election subject to Title 30‑A, section 2502, the committee shall file preelection and post-election reports:  

(1) On the 11th day before the date on which the election is held, which must be complete as of the 14th day before that date; and  

(2) On the 42nd day after the date on which the election is held, which must be complete as of the 35th day after that date.   [PL 2019, c. 323, §24 (AMD).]

D. A committee that files an election report under paragraph B or C is not required to file a quarterly report when the deadline for that quarterly report falls within 10 days of the filing deadline established in paragraph B or C.   [PL 1991, c. 839, §29 (RPR).]

E. If a committee is required to file a report 11 days before an election pursuant to paragraph B or C, the committee shall report any single contribution of $5,000 or more received or single expenditure of $1,000 or more made after the 14th day before the election and more than 24 hours before 5:00 p.m. on the day of the election within 24 hours of that contribution or expenditure. The treasurer is not required to include in this report expenditures for overhead expenses or compensation paid to an employee or other member of the campaign staff who has received payments at regular intervals that have been disclosed in previously filed campaign finance reports. As used in this paragraph, "overhead expenses" includes, but is not limited to, rent, utility payments, taxes, insurance premiums or similar administrative expenses.   [PL 2019, c. 323, §24 (AMD).]

[PL 2019, c. 323, §24 (AMD).]

3.  Report of expenditures made after the 11th day and more than 48 hours before any election. 

[PL 1989, c. 504, §§28, 31 (RP).]

4.  Special election reports. 

[PL 1989, c. 504, §§28, 31 (RP).]

5.  Electronic filing.  A committee shall file each report required by this section through an electronic filing system developed by the commission. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, for purposes of entering and retrieving information, the electronic filing system may categorize ballot question committees as a subcategory of political action committees. The commission may make an exception to this electronic filing requirement if a committee submits a written request that states that the committee lacks access to the technology or the technological ability to file reports electronically. The request for an exception must be submitted within 30 days of the registration of the committee. The commission shall grant all reasonable requests for exceptions.  

[PL 2021, c. 530, §1 (AMD).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 7, §O6 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 504, §§28,31 (RPR). PL 1989, c. 833, §§16-20 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 839, §29 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 628, §B5 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 301, §§25,26 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §35 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 571, §9 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 190, Pt. A, §§23, 24 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 366, §9 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 366, §12 (AFF). PL 2009, c. 652, Pt. A, §22 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 367, §2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 389, §§43-45 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 389, §62 (AFF). PL 2011, c. 691, Pt. A, §19 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 334, §§27, 28 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 323, §24 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 217, §10 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 530, §1 (AMD).