Organizations and groups that raise or spend money to influence elections or initiate a referendum in Maine may be required to register as a political action committee (PAC) or a ballot question committee (BQC) and file campaign finance reports with the Commission. The campaign finance laws regulating PACs and BQCs also apply in all county-wide elections and to candidate or ballot question elections in towns and cities with a population of 15,000 or more. A committee that is formed for a town or city election will file reports with the Town/City Clerk and not with the Commission.
In addition to PACs and BQCs, there are also political party committees, such as the Maine Democratic State Committee and the Maine Republican Party Committee that must register and file reports with the Commission. Several local political groups, such as the Portland City Democrats or the Androscoggin Republicans have formed Local Party Committees that will periodically file reports with the Commission.
2022 General Election 1-Day Independent Expenditure & 24-Hour Reporting Periods
(Wednesday, October 26 - Monday, November 7)
24-Hour Reports
During this time, certain transactions must be reported with in 24 hours on the Commission's eFiling website:
- Any single contribution of $5,000 or more
- Any single loan of $5,000 or more
- Any single expenditure of $1,000 or more
- Any single unpaid debt or unpaid order of $1,000 or more
The report must be filed regardless of whether you have an invoice or have made a payment on a purchase. If you agree to or place an order with a vendor that is, or may be, $1,000 or more, you are required to report it as a debt on a 24-Hour Report between Wednesday, October 26 and Monday, November 7.
To file a 24-Hour Report, login to the eFiling website and enter the transaction. The system will automatically make a special 24-Hour report for you to file. The report must then be completely filed - just entering the transaction will not meet the filing requirements.
1-Day Independent Expenditure Reports
A PAC may have to file an independent expenditure report if it spends money on a communication to influence a candidate election. The threshold amount for the requirement to file an independent expenditure report within one calendar day is $250 per candidate.
To file a 1-Day Pre-General Independent Expenditure Report, login to the eFiling website and enter the transaction. The system will automatically make a report for you to file. The report must then be completely filed - just entering the transaction will not meet the filing requirements.