How to Request Certification
In order to request certification as a Maine Clean Election Act (MCEA) candidate, the candidate must submit by 5:00 p.m. on the last day of the qualifying period:
- the required number of qualifying contributions for certification
- the original and clerk-verified Receipt and Acknowledgment forms
- a Seed Money campaign finance report (filed online or on paper)
- the signed Request for Certification form
In addition, the Ethics Commission will not certify a candidate unless he or she has submitted original Candidate Registration and Declaration of Intent forms and qualified with the Secretary of State's office to appear on the ballot. In order to receive public funds, the candidate must also be established as a vendor in the State's accounting system, so candidates are encouraged to submit a new Vendor Form as soon as possible after registration to ensure timely processing.
All required forms are available here.
Initial Distribution Amounts
Candidates qualify for initial MCEA funding for each election by collecting a minimum number of valid QCs (60 for House candidates and 175 for Senate candidates) and submitting them by 5 p.m. on April 22, 2024.
| Candidate | Primary | General |
|---|---|---|
| House - contested | $3,125 | $6,225 |
| House - uncontested | $625 | $1,875 |
| Senate - contested | $12,475 | $24,925 |
| Senate - uncontested | $2,500 | $7,475 |
Candidates who are not in a primary election (unenrolled/independent candidates) will receive the initial disbursement for an uncontested primary candidate upon certification.
Replacement candidates must collect and submit the required number of valid QCs by 5:00 p.m. on August 21, 2024.
Supplemental Payments
Candidates in a contested general election may request up to eight supplemental payments of MCEA funds by continuing to collect qualifying contributions and submitting them to the Commission by 5:00 p.m. on October 15, 2024. These supplemental payments are intended to ensure that MCEA candidates will have access to sufficient campaign funds for the general election. Whether a candidate seeks supplemental funding and that level of funding is entirely up to the candidate, who should make a realistic assessment of the resources she or he will need to run a successful campaign.
- For every 15 valid qualifying contributions collected by a House candidate, the Commission will make a supplemental payment of $1,550.
- For every 45 valid qualifying contributions collected by a Senate candidate, the Commission will make a supplemental payment of $6,225.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House |
$1,550 15 QCs |
$3,100 30 QCs |
$4,650 45 QCs |
$6,200 60 QCs |
$7,750 75 QCs |
$9,300 90 QCs |
$10,850 105 QCs |
$12,400 120 QCs |
| Senate |
$6,225 45 QCs |
$12,450 90 QCs |
$18,675 135 QCs |
$24,900 180 QCs |
$31,125 225 QCs |
$37,350 270 QCs |
$43,575 315 QCs |
$49,800 360 QCs |