Entering Purpose Code & Purposes

ElectaFile Short Summary: It’s Two Weeks to the Year End Semi Annual Report and you’re tracking expenditures trying to code them properly. Understanding Purpose Codes and Purpose Descriptions is key!

Back in October, we wrote about the distinction between Purpose Codes and Purposes which are the data points you must use to tell the State Board of Elections about how you spend your campaign funds.

Nearly every one of you all is sorting through data points in advance of the Year End Semi-Annual Report deadline of Friday, January 26, 2024. You should read the October post again. We link it here.

Even if you don’t have time to read the lengthier post (which we are partial to of course…), understand two basic points about describing the purpose of expenditures which is the topic about which the State Board has been crystal clear on how to avoid trouble….

1. Creative Writing is Not an Option. The State Board Manual is very clear that the quickest way to get a second look on your reports is to depart from the standard protocol urged by the State Board. Here’s how their manual says it:

2. Stay With the Program. When you enter an expenditure, you must assign it a Purpose Code. In the old days, the State Board had multiple options for Purpose Code. Now…every…single…time…you enter “O” for Other. Next, you select from the 56 different options located on Pages 59-61 of the State Manual.

Here’s a screen shot of part of them from the Manual:

Also bear in mind that there are clearly unacceptable purpose descriptions that will trigger a further look from the State Board:

If you use ElectaFile you can select Purpose Code “O” from the toggle box and then type in one of the 56 options. You can even make margin notes to yourself that will live in the ElectaFile dashboard with that expenditure entry. Here’s a screenshot:

In closing, stay tight on purpose codes (always “O”!) and purpose descriptions. Your future self will thank you!

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