Figuring Out How to File Your NC Campaign Finance Reports

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ElectaFile Short Summary: How to File is an either/or choice. You either file in writing or you file electronically. Your golf bag has only two clubs. This post talks about which tool your committee can use and why. You’ll come to love the $5K/$10K split by the time you’ve done the reading!

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“How to File…?”

You know where to file (see our previous post on this topic).

First Ahaa! Moment: the history of filing in NC Campaign Finance land is almost exactly like the IRS tax filing you’ve done.

First, there was and is paper filing. We’ll get into how there still is for a few in a moment. But, in the old days, you’d grab the correct form from the elections office, you’d complete your data, you’d sign it and ship it off to the Board of Elections. You’d need a working ballpoint pen, some White Out (raise your hand if you remember White Out?), and a few dollars for certified mail. A form of paper filing remains available. Same thing with the IRS (we think you can still get your 1040EZ form down at the Post Office!).

Modern paper filing is available but limited. Start from the idea that almost everyone-ish-ish can still paper file with some clear exceptions. The State Board of Elections maintains a slick database of forms for filing at this link.

Here’s a screenshot of where that link takes you:

As for electronic filing, first, the State Board encourages it, albeit it is not required except for committees with certain thresholds of dollars flowing through the committee during the election cycle.

Who Has to E-File?

Let’s take the most common types of committees and see whether or not they must e-file.

Candidate Committees

Rule No. 1: (the “Big Time State Race” Rule”): Candidate Committees for Statewide Office must file electronically if their total contributions, expenditures, or loans for the election cycle exceed $5,000. Put another way: if the committee expects to have more than $5,000 coming or going from the account during the election cycle, you must file electronically. See Page 44 of the NC Campaign Finance Manual here.

Rule No. 2 (the “Playing with More than $5K Statewide” Rule): Any Candidate Committee must file electronically if the committee contributes more than $5,000 to candidates for statewide office or the committee makes in excess of $5,000 in independent expenditures that affect contests for statewide office. See Page 44 again here.

Rule No. 3 (the “$10K Catch All…” Rule): All other candidate committees must file electronically if their report will show a total of more than $10,000 in contributions, loans or expenditures during an election cycle. See Page 44 again here.

Note: Remember Rules 1, 2 and 3 because you’ll see them again for other committees!

Political Party Committees

Political Party Committees are subject to Rule No. 2 (the “Playing with More than $5K in Statewide” Rule) and Rule No. 3 (the “$10K Catch All” Rule). This means all political party committees (even subordinate committees!) can paper file unless the committee will spend more than $5K in statewide races or if the committee will raise or spend in excess of $10K during the election cycle. See Page 80 of the NC Campaign Finance Manual here.

Political Action Committees (You Know Them as PACs!)

The rules get easier and easier to understand as we go along. PACs are subject to the exact same Rules as Political Party Committees: Rule No. 2 and Rule No. 3. This means PACs can paper file unless the committee will spend more than $5K in statewide races or if the committee will raise or spend in excess of $10K during the election cycle. See Page 96 of the Manual here.

Independent Expenditure Committees

Should be easy now: they are subject to Rule No. 2 and Rule No. 3. The same $5K/$10K rules described above. It’s becoming second nature!

Referendum Committees

You got this! It’s Rule No. 2 and Rule No. 3. The same $5K/$10K split. Rock’n Roll!

That’s all for now. Next time we’ll talk about e-filing options and how to pick the right one. We’ll also remind you again about the importance of getting wet ink signatures on your disclosure reports turned in on time!

Check us out at ElectaFile.com 

What is ElectaFile.com? ElectaFile offers easy and affordable electronic "click to file" services with the NC State Board and County Boards. ElectaFile is web-based and accessible from Macs and PCs with an internet connection. ElectaFile is transactionally-priced so you only pay a small fee if you file using ElectaFile. If you need a free consultation on your situation, please let us know. If ElectaFile can help, it will. We are not your treasurer or your lawyer. If you need a professional treasurer or an attorney, ElectaFile regularly refers folks to professionals on all sides of the aisle.